Traditional Mooncakes

Ingredients

Mooncake skin:

• 100 gm (1 cup) all-purpose flour
• 60 gm (1/4 cup) golden syrup, homemade or store-bought
• 1/2 tsp alkaline water (aka lye water), available at Asian grocers
• 28 gm (2 Tbsp.) vegetable oil

Filling options:

• 420 gm lotus seed puree/paste
• 6 salted egg yolks, 
• 1 Tbsp rose-flavoured cooking wine

• Custard Filling (12 portions)

• Red Bean Paste (12 portions)

Egg wash:

• 1 egg yolk
• 2 Tbsp egg white

Directions

1. Use a large bowl, mix the golden syrup, alkaline water and oil well. Sift in the flour. Use a spatula to combine all ingredients. Don’t over-stir. Knead into a dough. Cover with a film wrap and rest for 40 minutes.
2. For traditional mooncake filling: Mix egg yolks with wine. If the salted egg yolks are homemade and freshly broken from the shells, you’ll see the egg whites would turn opaque after mixing with the wine a few minutes later. Wipe dry the yolks with kitchen paper. Cut each into two halves. Set aside. Roll lotus paste into a long tube. Cut into 12 equal portions, each 35 grams. Roll each portion into a ball shape. Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F). Prepare the egg wash: whisk the egg yolk with the egg white. Sift through a fine sieve.
4. Divide the mooncake dough into 12 equal portions. Roll each portion into a small ball shape. Cover a dough portion with a plastic film and roll into a thin disc. Then take a lotus paste ball and poke a hole in the middle with your finger. Place egg yolk inside. Roll and shape into a ball. Wrap and seal the lotus paste ball with the dough disc. Dust the mooncake with some flour and place the stuffed mooncake into the mold. Lightly press the mould handle, then remove the mooncake from the mold. Transfer the stuffed mooncake onto a lined baking tray. Repeat this step to finish the remaining dough and lotus paste (or whatever desired filling).
5. Spray mooncakes with water to prevent cracking during baking.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes. Remove the mooncakes from the oven and let cool for 25 minutes. 
7. Brush the mooncakes with egg wash and return the mooncakes to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes (until the pastry turns golden brown). Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. Store in an air-tight container. The pastry will become soft and shiny in one or two days.