Making Cantonese red bean paste mooncakes is a traditional yet enjoyable activity, and the steps are detailed below.
To start preparing the crust, you will need 170 grams of cake flour, 100 grams of invert sugar syrup, 50 grams of peanut oil, and 5 grams of lye water. As for the filling, you need to prepare 560 grams of red bean paste, planning to make 16 mooncakes weighing 55 grams each (20 grams for the crust and 35 grams for the filling). The ingredients for the red bean paste include 1000 grams of red bean paste base, 180 grams of peanut oil, 200 grams of fine granulated sugar, and 100 grams of maltose.
The process of making the red bean paste base is as follows: First, wash the red beans thoroughly and soak them for several hours; then, boil the soaked beans, remove some water, and continue cooking over medium heat with cold water until the bean skins crack and the beans soften; after that, strain the beans and rinse off the skins; next, filter the obtained red bean paste liquid and squeeze out the moisture, thus completing the red bean paste base, which should be stir-fried or refrigerated quickly to prevent spoilage.
When stir-frying the red bean paste filling, first melt peanut oil and fine granulated sugar in a pot over medium heat, then quickly stir-fry the red bean paste base. When the filling thickens, reduce to low heat and add the pre-melted maltose until the filling no longer sticks to the pot.
As for the steps to make the mooncakes: first prepare the bean paste filling by cooking, mashing, adding sugar, stir-frying, and gradually adding oil until the filling dries, finally mixing in the cooked flour. The crust is prepared by mixing invert sugar syrup, peanut oil, lye water, and flour, then refrigerating to rest. Divide the rested crust and filling in proportion (e.g., 2:8), fill the mold, spray water on the surface, and bake. The specific baking temperature is to preheat to 190℃, bake for 5 minutes, brush with egg wash, and then bake for another 15 minutes until the surface is golden brown. After completion, let the mooncakes rest for one to two days to improve the texture.
Making mooncakes at home not only allows you to enjoy the fun of handcrafting but also ensures the freshness and health of the ingredients, making it an excellent choice for conveying warmth during the festival.
