The process of making five-nut mooncakes is both simple and fun. Start by selecting an appropriate amount of peanuts, cashews, sesame seeds, and almonds, and place them in a blender to crush, setting aside as filling. Next, add cooking oil to this nut mixture and mix well with your hands to ensure the oil is evenly absorbed.
On another side, prepare a syrup and mix in the appropriate amount of water as needed, stirring until fully combined. Then, gradually add flour along with a suitable amount of moisture while continuously stirring until the ingredients are mixed evenly. At this point, knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic, and set it aside for later use.
Next, enter the shaping phase: take a small piece from the large dough, flatten it, and wrap it around the pre-prepared five-nut filling. Using a mooncake mold, press gently, and a variety of mooncakes will appear before your eyes.
To enhance the luster and flavor of the mooncakes, evenly coat the surface with a thin layer of cooking oil. Finally, place the unbaked mooncakes into the middle of the preheated oven, baking for about 20 minutes until golden and tempting.
As one of the representatives of traditional Chinese pastries, five-nut mooncakes are particularly favored during the Mid-Autumn Festival. They are renowned for their finely selected ingredients, thin skin, rich filling, delicate texture, and convenience for carrying. The production methods of five-nut mooncakes vary across different regions, resulting in differences in taste and appearance. A typical five-nut mooncake is plump in shape, with slightly raised edges, clear patterns and text, uniformly shaped, with intact skin that doesn’t leak filling, and the edges present a subtle ivory color while the bottom is reddish-brown. A bite reveals a burst of sweetness, with a soft texture complemented by the crunch of nuts, intertwining flavors of different fruits, leaving a lingering aftertaste.
