Traditional Baked Mooncakes 传统烘月饼

Start by making the mooncake skin. Prepare all ingredients needed to make the pastry.

In a large bowl, add in golden syrup.

Add in peanut oil.

Followed by alkaline water.

Whisk together the golden syrup, alkaline water and peanut oil until well blended.

Next, add in the all-purpose flour (240 gram).

With a wooden spoon or spatula, stir to combine all ingredients. Do not over-stir.

Cover with a cling wrap and set aside for 4 hours.

Next, clean salted egg by first removing the black charcoal from the egg.

Then rinse egg under running water.

Crack the cleaned salted egg to remove the yolk. Repeat the same with the rest of the eggs.

Then baked the salted egg yolks in a 175 degree C preheated oven for 5 minutes. Set aside when done.

Next, roast melon seeds in the preheated oven for 5 minutes.

Mix the roasted melon seeds into the lotus paste. Lightly knead to combine the melon seeds into the paste.

Roll lotus paste into a log, divide into 9 equal pieces about 110g each and roll into balls.

Then make the dough skin by mixing the set aside dough with the all-purpose flour (120g).

Gently knead the rested dough just until it comes together and firms up.

Divide the dough skin into 9 equal pieces, each about 45g. Roll each portion into a small ball shape.

Now we are ready to assemble the mooncakes!

First, take a lotus paste ball and poke a hole in the middle with your finger. Place the baked egg yolk inside.

Roll and shape into a ball.

Flatten skin dough on palm of hand. Then flatten further using your fingertips. Put lotus paste ball onto the flattened dough and enclose filling by gently pressing edges until filling is sealed.

Gently push, press and squeeze the dough, holding the ball securely in your palm, until the dough skin gradually covers the lotus paste 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 the 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.

Alternatively you can use a traditional wooden mooncake mould. Lightly floured the wooden mould.

Dust lightly the filled dough with flour, put into the lightly floured mooncake mould and press hard and flatten the dough so that the shape conform to the mould.

Gently knock a few times to dislodge the moulded mooncake.

And we're done!

Transfer the moulded mooncakes onto a baking sheet.

Preheat oven to 200 degree C. Place the mooncakes in the preheated oven to bake for 10 minutes.

Remove the mooncakes from the oven and leave to cool on wire rack for 5 minutes.

Lightly brush as thoroughly as possible the top of mooncakes with beaten egg yolk.

Then bake in the oven for another 10 minutes or till golden brown. And we're done!

Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack. Then store in air-tight container for 2 days.

The mooncake skin will become soft and shiny in 1 or 2 days time.

At this point, it's meant to be enjoyed. Great to serve with a cup of freshly brewed chinese tea. Enjoy!