Chineese Moon Festival
Ranked #412 in Culture & Society, #9,590 overall
Chineese Moon Festival
The Chinese Moon Festival is an old tradition that dates between 15th of the 8th lunar month. It's also known as the Mid-autumn Festival. Just like Christmas and Thanksgiving in the West, the Moon Festival is one of the most important traditional events for the Chinese.
Chang Er
The Moon Festival is full of legendary stories. Legend says that Chang Er flew to the moon, where she has lived ever since. The Moon Festival is also an occasion for family reunions. When the full moon rises, families get together to watch the full moon, eat moon cakes, and sing moon poems. With the full moon, the legend, the family and the poems, you can't help thinking that this is really a perfect world. That is why the Chinese are so fond of the Moon Festival. Great Stuff on Amazon
Ingredients for cooking mooncakes
Dough base
4 cups all-purpose flour (plain flour)
3/4 cup dried milk powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract (essence)
Filling
1 cup apricot preserves (jam) (equivalent of one 12 ounce jar)
1 cup chopped pitted dates
1 cup sweetened, flaked coconut (desiccated coconut)
3/4 cup raisins (or sultanas)
Glaze
1 lightly beaten egg
2 tablespoons water
3/4 cup dried milk powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract (essence)
Filling
1 cup apricot preserves (jam) (equivalent of one 12 ounce jar)
1 cup chopped pitted dates
1 cup sweetened, flaked coconut (desiccated coconut)
3/4 cup raisins (or sultanas)
Glaze
1 lightly beaten egg
2 tablespoons water
Steps to make Mooncakes
1. In one bowl, mix the flour, milk powder, and salt together
2. Break the eggs into another bowl. Add the sugar, and beat together for up to 5 minutes. Pour in the melted butter, vanilla extract. Fold through all ingredients
3. Add the sifted, dry ingredients to the liquid mixture. Fold in to create a dough
4. Knead the dough. Tip the dough onto a floured surface and knead lightly. Once smooth, the dough is ready. Roll a log shape from the dough. If possible, at this point it is helpful to let the dough sit in the refrigerator overnight, as this makes it easier to work with.
5. Mix the apricot preserves, chopped dates, coconut and raisins together in a small bowl. Use a fork to mash down any large, chunky pieces of apricot.
6. Prepare two baking sheets by covering in parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 375ºF/190ºC.
7. Press each dough piece into a 3-inch (7.5 cm) circle. When stretching the dough, make the edges thinner and the center thicker.
8. Add the filling. Press the filling into the middle of each circle. Gather the edges over to enclose the filling and pinch closed. Roll into a ball, then flatten.
9. Prepare the moon cake press. Add flour to it to help ease the cake out after pressing. Then, press each flattened circle in the mold to shape the moon cake. To remove each pressed cake, bang all four sides, until it comes out. If you don't have a moon cake press, try to shape the cake as round as possible and use a fork or a skewer to draw a design. It can be as simple as making a cross or a series of lines, or more elaborate if you're patient.
10. Brush each moon cake with egg wash. Place each cake about 1 inch (2.5cm) apart on a baking sheet. Once each baking sheet it filled, put them into the oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until the moon cakes turn golden brown.
11. Leave to cool on a wire cooling rack. Once cooled, they are ready to serve or package.
2. Break the eggs into another bowl. Add the sugar, and beat together for up to 5 minutes. Pour in the melted butter, vanilla extract. Fold through all ingredients
3. Add the sifted, dry ingredients to the liquid mixture. Fold in to create a dough
4. Knead the dough. Tip the dough onto a floured surface and knead lightly. Once smooth, the dough is ready. Roll a log shape from the dough. If possible, at this point it is helpful to let the dough sit in the refrigerator overnight, as this makes it easier to work with.
5. Mix the apricot preserves, chopped dates, coconut and raisins together in a small bowl. Use a fork to mash down any large, chunky pieces of apricot.
6. Prepare two baking sheets by covering in parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 375ºF/190ºC.
7. Press each dough piece into a 3-inch (7.5 cm) circle. When stretching the dough, make the edges thinner and the center thicker.
8. Add the filling. Press the filling into the middle of each circle. Gather the edges over to enclose the filling and pinch closed. Roll into a ball, then flatten.
9. Prepare the moon cake press. Add flour to it to help ease the cake out after pressing. Then, press each flattened circle in the mold to shape the moon cake. To remove each pressed cake, bang all four sides, until it comes out. If you don't have a moon cake press, try to shape the cake as round as possible and use a fork or a skewer to draw a design. It can be as simple as making a cross or a series of lines, or more elaborate if you're patient.
10. Brush each moon cake with egg wash. Place each cake about 1 inch (2.5cm) apart on a baking sheet. Once each baking sheet it filled, put them into the oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until the moon cakes turn golden brown.
11. Leave to cool on a wire cooling rack. Once cooled, they are ready to serve or package.
eBay
by JSmith32
Hello My name is James although most people call me Jim. I am orignially from China but I moved to the UK with my family some years ago.
- 54 featured lenses
- Winner of 17 trophies!
- Top lens » DBZ fan art
Feeling creative?
Create a Lens!
