Today, I tried making a special five-nut mooncake, which is characterized by not needing syrup or alkaline water. First, I washed the peanuts and drained them, then slowly toasted them in a non-stick pan over low heat until fully cooked. After the peanuts cooled, I gently rubbed off the skins and set them aside.
Next, I mixed the toasted black sesame seeds into the glutinous rice flour, which had also been lightly toasted until slightly yellow. This step added more aroma and texture to the five-nut mooncake. After that, I prepared the five-nut ingredients according to personal preference, chopped them up a bit, and added oil and honey to mix well, thus the five-nut filling was prepared.
To enhance the color and flavor of the mooncake, I placed the five-nut mooncake in the oven for a while, then took it out and gently brushed a layer of egg yolk over it, baking for a few more minutes until the surface of the mooncake turned an enticing golden color and became crisp.
The next step in making the five-nut filling is to mix the toasted glutinous rice flour into the five-nut ingredients, adjusting with water to knead into a suitably soft and firm filling dough. Meanwhile, I also prepared the mooncake skin by mixing water, honey, and corn oil with all-purpose flour until well combined.
Then, I divided the five-nut filling and mooncake skin into small balls of 35 grams each. One can choose the wrapping method based on personal preference, encasing the filling in the skin. Using a 75-gram mold for shaping, I pressed it tightly and sent the shaped five-nut mooncakes into the preheated oven to bake for about 8 minutes.
Finally, the homemade five-nut mooncakes came out fresh from the oven. Breaking open the mooncake, the outer skin is flaky and delicious, while the filling is not overly sweet nor greasy and is full of nutty crunch. This time I made two flavors, one side with date paste and walnut filling, and the other with the classic five-nut filling. I sincerely invite everyone to come taste and enjoy this warmth and sweetness from the kitchen.
