Purple Yam Mooncakes
Vegetarian Purple Yam Mooncakes filled with homemade purple yam and sweet potato paste center to simulate salted egg yolk. Melon seeds provide texture.(Makes 6 mooncakes)
- Prep time
- 1 hr
- Cook time
- 50 min
- Yield
- 12 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2 cups cake flour ((270g))
- ½ cup golden syrup ((120g))
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil ((80ml))
- 1½ tsp alkaline water ((7.5ml))
- 1 egg yolk (mixed with 1 tbsp water for eggwash)
- 2 tbsp mooncake glaze
- 1 lb purple yam ((peeled and cubed) (450g))
- ¼ cup vegetable oil ((60ml))
- ¼ cup sugar ((55g))
- ½ lb orange sweet potatoes ((peeled and cubed) (225g))
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp sugar
- ¼ cup kuachi ((melon seeds) (30g))
Instructions
- 1
You will also need a 150g to 185g mooncake mold.
- 2
Steam purple yam for 10 minutes until very soft.
- 3
Remove and puree with an immersion blender while still warm. Do the same for sweet potatoes.
- 4
Combine pureed purple yam, ¼ cup (60ml) vegetable oil, and ¼ cup (55g) granulated sugar in a nonstick fry pan. Cook over low heat until sugar has melted and vegetable oil is fully incorporated into the purple yam puree. This should take about 2 to 3 minutes. Do the the same for sweet potatoes but use only 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar.
- 5
Toast kuachi (melon seeds) over medium heat for about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and allow it to cool. Mix into purple yam paste.
- 6
Divide and form sweet potato paste into 6 balls of 1¼ oz (35g) each. Divide and form purple yam paste into 6 balls measuring approximately 3 oz (85g) each. Wrap each portion of purple yam paste over each portion of sweet potato paste to form 6 balls of filling weighing (4¼ oz) 120g each.
- 7
Combine golden syrup, vegetable oil, and alkaline water in a small bowl or measuring cup.
- 8
Sift cake flour into a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Pour syrup mixture into well and mix with a spatula to form a soft dough. Cover with shrink wrap and let dough rest for 30 minutes.
- 9
Lightly dust work surface with cake flour. Knead dough until smooth adding a little flour if necessary. Divide into 6 portions of 50g each. You will have roughly 100g excess dough.
- 10
Take a portion of the dough and spread it into a circle of about 4 inches (10cm) with your fingers. Alternatively, you can roll it out with a small rolling pin.
- 11
Wrap a ball of filling with the dough. Roll the ball of dough and filling between your palms to smoothen.
- 12
Place into flour dusted mooncake mold. Press to conform to the shape of the mold.
- 13
Place on work surface and carefully press spring stamp down to get a nice pattern on the top. Lift mold and gently release mooncake onto your palm.
- 14
Place on a parchment lined baking tray. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
- 15
Bake in a preheated 375°F (190°C) oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow mooncakes to cool for 5 minutes. Brush on egg wash and return to oven for another 10 minutes.
- 16
Remove from oven and brush the tops only with mooncake glaze. Allow mooncakes to cool completely.
- 17
Store in an airtight container for one day before serving.
- 18
Best consumed within 3 days.