After making my traditional baked mooncakes and matcha green tea snowskin mooncakes, I tried making these mooncakes, which is my very own Homemade Shanghai Mooncakes (上海月饼). I did not manage to do a posting on how to make these mooncakes before mid-autumn festival but they were such beauties that I just can’t resist and decided to share this post mid-autumn festival mooncake recipe. Perhaps, we can make them again next year. As the saying goes, it’s better late than never.
These homemade shanghai mooncakes is characterised by its short crust pastry. This crisp and buttery crust of the skin goes very well indeed with the oriental mooncake lotus paste fillings. They are a modern variation compared to the typical traditional mooncakes. This special type of mooncake is perhaps a fusion of English and Chinese cuisine combining a western styled crisp biscuit like pastry with a traditional chinese filling which is soft, sweet yet salty from the egg yolks.
These homemade Shanghai Mooncakes are very easy to make. In fact, it is SO VERY much easier than making the Traditional Mooncakes so this can be another option if you don’t want to make the traditional ones. Just prepare the dough pastry and fillings. Then assemble them together and bake! And they taste delicious too.
Homemade Shanghai Mooncakes
Shanghai Mooncakes 上海月饼
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Equipment
- 200g Mooncake Mould
Ingredients
Mooncake skin
- 105 gram margarine, or butter
- 55 gram icing sugar, sieved
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 ½ tbsp evaporated milk
- 220 gram all-purpose flour, sieved
- 1 ½ tbsp custard powder
Mooncake Fillings
- 500 gram white lotus paste
- 25 gram melon seeds, toasted
- 5 Salted egg yolks, baked, each 15 gram
Have ready all ingredients needed to make these Shanghai mooncakes.
First, baked salted egg yolks in a 175 degree C preheated oven for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool before use.
Then, lightly toast melon seeds and set aside to cool.
Next, prepare the mooncake pastry (skin). Put margarine and icing sugar in a mixing bowl of a stand mixer.
Cream margarine and icing sugar until well combined.
Add in egg yolks, one at a time. Mix to combine well after each addition.
Then, mix the batter with evaporated milk .
Slowly add in the sieved flour.
Mix everything until a soft dough is formed.
Cover with cling wrap and rest the soft dough for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the fillings for the mooncake. Add the toasted melon seeds into the white lotus paste.
Knead to combine the melon seeds into the paste. Then, form the lotus paste into a log and divide into 5 equal pieces, 105g each.
Wrap each piece of lotus paste with one egg yolk (15g) and form into balls. You should have 5 lotus paste balls, each weighing 120g.
After 30 minutes, divide the rested soft dough into 5 equal pieces, 80g each.
Flatten the soft dough and wrap the lotus paste with egg yolk in it.
Gently push, press and squeeze the dough, holding the ball securely in your palm, until the dough skin gradually covers the lotus paste ball. Roll into a ball. Repeat this step to finish the remaining dough skin and lotus paste balls.
Dust a little flour on the mooncake mould. Place the stuffed round mooncake into the mould.
Turn it UPRIGHT on a smooth surface. Then press the plunger down until you feel resistance.
Lift the mooncake mould off the surface and use the plunger to push the mooncake out. Repeat the same with the rest of the wrapped lotus paste balls. And you're done!
Arrange the mooncakes onto a baking tray.
Preheat oven to 190 degree C.
Place the mooncakes into the preheated oven to bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown in colour.
Remove from oven and transfer the baked mooncakes to cool completely on wire rack.
These mooncakes are best served after 2 to 3 days to allow the pastry to absorb some oil from the filling. Hence the skin will turn soft and has a crisp but crumbly texture.
At this point, cut into small wedges and ENJOY!
