Snowskin Mooncakes with Custard Filling

Yields about 10 mooncakes, each 50 grams.

Ingredients

Ingredients of snowskin:

• 40 g. glutinous rice flour (about 1/3 cup)
• 20 g. rice flour (about 2 1/2 Tablespoons)
• 20 g. all-purpose flour (about 2 1/2 Tablespoons)
• 35 g. caster sugar (about 3 Tablespoons)
• 160 ml milk (about 3/4 cup)
• 35 ml condensed milk (about 2 Tablespoons)
• 30 ml vegetable oil (about 1 Tablespoon)
• 1 1/2 tsp. matcha powder, (optional) if matcha-flavored mooncake is desired
• 3 Tbsp. cooked glutinous rice flour, for coating

Ingredients of filling:

• 18 gm plain flour (about 2 1/2 Tablespoons)
• 18 gm cornstarch (about 2 1/2 Tablespoons)
• 24 gm custard powder (about 2 Tablespoons)
• 2 eggs, whisked
• 18 ml condensed milk (about 1 Tablespoon)
• 135 ml water (about 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons)
• 30 gm caster sugar (about 2 1/2 Tablespoons)
• 30 gm melted butter (about 2 Tablespoons)

Directions

1. To prepare filling: Stir condensed milk and sugar in water until dissolved.
2. Sift cornstarch, flour and custard power. Combine well.
3. Pour one-third of whisked egg into flour mixture and mix well. Repeat this step with the rest of the whisked egg, with small amount at a time. Pour in condensed milk mixture and melted butter, and mix enough just to incorporate all ingredients. Drain through a fine sift into a big, shallow plate.
4. Cover with foil and steam over high heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until cooked. Let cool.
5. Knead cooked custard into smooth dough. That’s the custard filling. (You might like to make the filling in advance. Keep in a freezer. Rest in room temperature for a while before using. When it turns soft and easier to cut, it can be wrapped in mooncake skin.)
6. To prepare the snowskin: Sieve all flours in a large mixing bowl. Add sugar and combine. Mix milk with condensed milk until combined. Pour into the flour mixture. Stir in vegetable oil until incorporated. Drain through a fine sieve into a large and shallow pan. Cover with foil and steam for 15 to 20 minutes over medium high heat. Let it cool down.
7. Divide the filling into 10 portions, each in 24 grams (there may be extra). Roll each into a ball.
8. Scrape out the snowskin dough. Knead in matcha powder evenly, if desired. Divide into 10 portions, each in 26 grams. With a rolling pin, roll each out portion into a disc.
9. To assemble mooncakes: Wrap the filling with the snowskin dough tightly and seal the edges. Coat with cooked glutinous rice flour. Shake away the excess. Press in a floured mooncake mould. Tap and remove it. (I use a mini plastic mold, 50 grams. Press the plunger to release the mooncake.) Store in an air-tight container covered with a kitchen paper. Chill in freezer overnight. Transfer the mooncakes into fridge for 2 hours before serving.

Notes：

• Cooked glutinous rice flour is available at Asain grocers. You can make it yourself though. Simply cook the flour in a frying pan without any oil over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. When smoke releases and the flour turns light yellow, it’s cooked. Remove from the heat and let it cool down completely. Then you can use it to coat your mooncakes.
• When steaming the snowskin and filling: if you can’t taste any raw flour, it’s done.
• By kneading the matcha powder into cooked snowskin dough, you’ll get the best flavour and colour. Yet, it needs more patience to knead in evenly.
• You might wrap in a cooked salted egg yolk if you like. Salted egg yolks are available at Asian grocers. Or you make some in advance.
• You can use other fillings for these mooncakes. I used red bean paste once :)
• The snowskin mooncakes can be stored in freezer up to a few weeks. Before serving, just transfer the mooncakes to fridge for about 3 hours, until they become soften a bit.

Recipe(s) adapted from: http://en.christinesrecipes.com/