Home baked goodness

With so many hotels, restaurants and bakeries doling out beautifully crafted mooncakes of every imaginable filling and skin, consumers are no doubt spoilt for choice. Among the new flavours that Mandarin Orchard Singapore are launching include cheese with citrus, and raspberry snow skin mooncakes. But the hotel’s pastry chef, Jason Goh, knows that sometimes, it’s the evergreen classics that truly hit the spot.

Baked Mooncakes with Single Yolk and White Lotus Paste

Makes: 15 pieces (190g each)
Prep time: 1 hour + 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

baked skin
190g golden syrup
75ml peanut oil
1 tsp alkaline or lye water
300g Hong Kong flour (Redman brand)
2 eggs
1 egg yolk

filling
1 tsp rose cooking wine
150g or 15 salted egg yolks
2.1kg lotus paste (available at Guang Xiang Tai, Lor.25 Geylang)

• In a large bowl, mix the golden syrup, oil and alkaline water together. Slowly sift in the flour and knead gently to combine the ingredients. Be careful not to overwork the dough. Cover with cling wrap and let rest for 30 to 40 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 180˚C. Prepare an egg wash by whisking together 2 whole eggs and 1 egg yolk. After whisking the eggs, sieve the mixture into a small bowl.
• Drizzle rose wine over the salted egg yolks, then wipe the yolks dry with kitchen paper. Roll the white lotus paste into a long tube and cut into 15 equal portions, each weighing approximately 140 grams.
• Roll each portion into a ball, then poke a hole in the middle with your finger and place a salted egg yolk inside. Seal the gaps and reshape into a ball. Set aside.
• Roll the baked skin dough into a long tube and cut into 15 equal portions, each weighing approximately 40 grams. Flatten each piece of dough into a small round and place a ball of lotus paste in the middle of the dough.
• Gently wrap the skin around the filling until all the edges are sealed. Flour the mould, place the formed mooncake into the mould and press down firmly. Lightly knock on both sides, then remove the mooncake from the mould. Transfer the stuffed mooncakes onto a lined baking tray.
• Bake for 12 minutes, then remove from heat and brush the mooncakes twice with egg wash. Continue to bake until the pastry turns golden-brown, another 15 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let cool on a sheet rack. Store in an air-tight container. The mooncakes will attain an oily sheen after one or two days.

Excerpt from the September issue of epicure.