During the Mid-Autumn Festival, mooncakes have become an indispensable delicacy for every household. Making mooncakes by hand not only adds joy to the festival, but also earns you praises for your craftsmanship from family members. The process is quite simple, requiring basic ingredients such as sugar syrup, alkaline water, and peanut oil.
Firstly, mix these liquid ingredients together and stir well until smooth. Then slowly add in medium-gluten flour, stirring loosely with chopsticks, then gently kneading into a dough. Be careful not to over knead to avoid affecting the texture. Once the dough is smooth, cover it with plastic wrap, let it rest for about 1 to 2 hours to naturally relax.
After resting, divide the dough into small 20g pieces, round them and wrap them with a 30g filling – choosing classic five-nuts and purple sweet potato flavors here for some taste variation. Lightly coat the wrapped dough with dry flour to prevent sticking, then gently press with a 50g mold to shape beautiful mooncakes symbolizing “harmony and reunion”.
Next, lightly spray the surface of the shaped mooncakes with water mist, preheat the oven to 170 degrees, initial bake for 10 minutes to set the mooncakes.
To achieve a tempting golden color on the mooncakes, mix egg yolk with a little water, use a fine brush to gently apply it on the surface of the mooncakes, then bake again at 170 degrees for another 15 minutes.
Once the mooncakes are baked, let them cool naturally in a ventilated place, then store them in a sealed bag for two days, allowing the crust to become oily again for the best texture. Thus, the journey of homemade mooncakes concludes, not only providing a taste pleasure but also a warm inheritance of traditional festival culture.
