Happy Mooncake Festival

Happy Mid Autumn Festival! For food lovers like me, it's usually known as Happy Mooncake Festival, where I get to sample all sorts of mooncakes. They don't come cheap and are usually used as gifts to your loved ones or friends. Mooncakes have evolved a long way since the olden times and there are more and more different varieties.

Here's a typical mooncake with a duck eggyolk in the centre. I personally don't like the yolk so I usually buy the ones without them.


Mooncakes are usually sold in very attractive boxes like one of these. Usually they come in flavours like Red Bean Paste or Lotus Paste. Lately it has evolved a lot

For example, take a look at the Starbucks version mooncake. Looks cool.

Shape is no longer an issue. Some companies make square mooncakes. Not sure if we can still call them mooncakes anymore though! The one above is actually ICE CREAM mooncake. Now that's one mooncake I'll like to sink my teeth into!


Using molds like those in the previous picture, bakers are able to create a diverse variety of mooncakes ranging in size, color, shape, and flavor.

Here's another special one called Jelly mooncake. I can't imagine what it tastes like but I would love to try it too.



This mooncake gives a new meaning to HARAMNESS. Confirm ditanggung HARAM one. LOL. Pig shape mooncakes.

With all these things about mooncakes. Sooner or later they'll be cheese mooncake, or tiramisu mooncake. Maybe savoury mooncakes where inside contains other savoury ingredients. Just like a chicken pie or quiche but wrapped in mooncake skin. The sky is the limit. Assam Laksa Mooncake? My god!

And don't think I was going to let you drool and not give you guys a chance to make your very own mooncake? Here's a recipe for Chocolate Ping Pei Mooncake! The one where you keep inside the fridge one! Give it a shot! You have to find your own mooncake mould though.

Cocoa Ping Pei Mooncake courtesy of Majorie Chiew of kuali.com

Ingredients
Skin:

600g cooked glutinous rice flour (ko fun) 1/2 litre cold, boiled water 300g shortening 800g icing sugar 15g cocoa powder Filling: 300g desiccated coconut 150g sugar 0.4 litre water 60g custard powder 60g milk powder 2 eggs 120g butter Method Making the ping pei skin: Mix icing sugar, water, cocoa powder and shortening well. Fold in ko fun. Mix well into a dough. Divide the dough into 30g portions. Set aside. Preparing the filling: Heat water and melt the sugar. Add desiccated coconut. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Mix well and simmer on low heat for 45 minutes. When cooked, set aside to cool. Mould the filling into balls of 75g each. Assembling the mooncake: Wrap a ball of filling with a portion of ping pei pastry. Roll into a ball and press into a mooncake mould. Knock it out gently and keep in the refrigerator until ready to be served. These mooncakes are best eaten about two hours after refrigeration. They keep well for up to two weeks. Makes 30

This guy could be you when you show off your culinary skills to your friends. Dazzle them with this mooncake recipe. Have fun and a HAPPY MOONCAKE FESTIVAL!