Cantonese Style Baked Mooncake

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I always want to make baked mooncake. This year I wait no more and try this recipe which has been bookmarked one year ago. I'm not really like mooncake however I like to learn how to make it. For this recipe I attempted 4 times in order to get result that I satisfy. 

In my 1^st batch, I manage to get it done quite ok. Since is my 1^st attempt I do not intend to take photos as I like to see how it turns out after few days 回油. After tasted I decide to bake again for pictures taking. However my mooncakes crack upon the baking process! Then I only realize forgot to spray water before sending into oven. I bake again the following day. This time I encounter problem of getting nice patterns. The dough seems a bit wet plus not knowing the right technique of using the mould. 

2nd batch, cracked. Forget spray water before baking.

I bought the mooncake mould (with plunger type) which I think is pretty easy to use. However I hardly get the nice pattern. I only manage to do it right after see a picture of Wendy on using the mould. That is when I about to start my 4^th batch! I shall press the wrapped dough straight away in baking pan to get the pattern. My mooncake skin/dough still sticks on plate for the 1^st one. Then I decide to dust more a bit more flour on the wrapped dough and this time outcome is neat and clean. Happy me! I’m not worried about dusting a bit more flour as I going to spray water on them before bake. 

I increase the amount of skin/dough used for each mooncake as recommended. The best I can handle is wrapping 30g filling with 21-22g dough. Therefore end up only 7 mini mooncakes instead of 10 pieces. This recipe uses very little golden syrup. It doesn't use alkaline water either which helps in getting brown surface. Therefore the skin is paler compare with ordinary mooncake. The brown surface is mainly from egg wash. I would say this is pretty healthy kind of mooncake : less syrup, less oil, using cheese powder and egg. Do check out the recipe below :)

After few batches of baking I learnt as below: 

. I find that dust the wrapped dough is better compare with dusting the stamping plate. Dusting the stamping plate might trap some flour inside grooves of the pattern and end up with a lump of flour on the imprints.

. Do remember to spray water on mooncake before send into oven. This will prevent mooncake from cracking. This is good if mooncake is dusted with too much flour. 

. In order to get nice patterns. Mooncake is bake till half-cooked. Then remove from oven and leave to cool. Be patient and wait until half-cooked mooncake cool at least 15 minutes before apply egg wash. Hot mooncake will 'cook' the egg which we don't want. It will causes bubbles form on surface too.

Recipe adapted with minor modification from Carol, Cantonese style mooncake/廣式烏豆沙核桃小月餅

Cantonese Style Baked Mooncake

Yield 7 pieces mini mooncake

Ingredients:

~Filling

210g homemade red bean paste, recipe here

~Dough

15g butter (I used salted), room temperature

25g icing sugar

15g golden syrup

20g egg

6g milk powder

10g parmesan cheese powder

65g low protein flour, sifted

~Egg wash

1 yolk

1 teaspoon egg white

*Lightly stir to mix

Methods:

1. Divide the filling into 30g portions and shape into balls. Set aside.

2. In a mixing bowl, add in butter and icing sugar. Stir to combine (with spatula). Follow by golden syrup and egg. Mix well. Add in milk powder and cheese powder. Again stir to combine.

3. Add in sifted flour into above mixture in 2 batches. Gently mix with fold and cut motion. Do not over mix. Keep aside to rest for 30 minutes.

4. Divide the dough into 21-22g each. Shape into balls. Lightly dust hand and flatten each dough into disc. Wrap it around the filling and shape into a ball. Dust the wrapped dough with flour. Place into mooncake mould and press out the mooncake on baking pan.

* My dough is a bit wet and I dust a bit more flour and the mooncake come out nicely :)

5. Preheat oven to 180C. Just before sending the mooncake into oven, spray some water on the mooncake surface. This helps to prevent mooncake from cracking during baking process.

6. Bake the mooncake at 180C for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and leave to cool for at least 15 minutes.

7. Brush the top with some egg wash. Return to oven and continue to bake for another 15 minutes until golden brown.

* Do check especially at the last 5 minutes of baking time. This is to prevent mooncake from over browned.

8. Leave mooncake to cool completely and store in air tight containers. It is best to serve after 2-3 days when the skin turns soft (回油).