This recipe is for naturally coloured Snowskin Mooncakes, which differ from traditional baked mooncakes. They feature a thin-skinned mooncake filled with lotus paste.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Suncore Foods. All images and opinions expressed are solely mine. Thank you for supporting brands that help make Sift & Simmer possible!
Chinese New Year is here! Gung Hei Fat Choy!
There are a few things that come to mind when I think of Chinese New Year.
Lots of homemade food, family gatherings, festive performances, and an abundance of vibrant colour, especially red.
Chinese New Year foods
From dumplings, and noodles, tang yuan (glutinous rice balls), to whole fish, there's a plethora of lucky, symbolic foods to eat during this festive 15-day season.
Chinese New Year celebrations actually begin on New Year's Eve and end on the Lantern Festival which takes place on the first full moon of the New Year.
Mooncakes are most commonly eaten during Mid-Autumn Festival.
Mid-Autumn Festival celebrates the autumn harvest, which is on the 8th month, 15th day of the lunar calendar.
Since Chinese New Year is based on the lunar calendar, mooncakes, (which are traditionally shaped to look like the moon) are also eaten during New Year's.
What is a mooncake?
The traditional mooncake is Chinese baked sweet confection, with a shortcrust pastry on the outside and some type of filling on the inside.
Generally, mooncakes are enjoyed with friends and family who are gathered together celebrating the festival.
Fillings can range from the traditional lotus seed paste, red bean paste, salted egg, mixed nuts, to various flavours of ice cream.
Contemporary style
A contemporary version of mooncake is Snowskin Mooncake (also known as Ice-Skin or Snowy Mooncakes).
It is not baked and has a thin, smooth, glutinous rice skin on the outside with a filling on the inside.
All-natural coloured skins
I've taken the Snowskin Mooncake and injected some all-natural colour in the form of Suncore's Superjuice Powders to the skins, which will be sure to bring joy to whoever eats it.
The snowskin mooncakes take a little time and patience to make.
However, you can opt for fillings that are pre-made: such as red bean paste and lotus seed paste which are readily found in Asian supermarkets.
Key ingredient
Another ingredient that is key in making snowskin mooncakes is koh fun, which is cooked glutinous rice flour.
This is different than regular glutinous rice flour. Koh fun can be difficult to find in Asian supermarkets.
I've provided an alternative if you can't get your hands on packaged koh fun.
These beautiful mini snowskin mooncakes are filled with sweet lotus seed paste, which is a popular traditional filling.
You can also switch it up and use red bean paste, which works just as well. The skin is slightly chewy from the glutinous rice, with a similar texture to mochi or tang yuan.
Other recipes you may like
Be sure to try these other recipes:
Peanut Tang Yuan (Glutinous Rice Balls)
Let me know if you try these -- I'd love to see your fantastic creations! Tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment below.
If you’d like to try out these amazing all-natural coloured powders for yourself, use my code SIFTANDSIMMER15 for 15% off your purchase at Suncore Foods.*
(*Note that the code is case sensitive. It is only valid on www.suncorefoods.com and cannot be used on any bundles, cannot be combined wi
Snowskin Mooncakes
For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
Ingredients
- 65 g koh fun* cooked glutinous rice flour; if you can't find it, make it below
- 40 g icing sugar
- 50 ml coconut milk warmed in the microwave
- 7 g coconut oil room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Suncore Butterfly Pea Superjuice Powder
- ½ teaspoon red yeast rice
- 1 teaspoon Suncore Pink Pitaya Superjuice Powder
- 1 teaspoon Suncore Emerald Pandan Superjuice Powder
*Homemade koh fun:
- 53 g glutinous rice flour
- 53 g rice flour
- 23 g wheat starch
Filling:
- 240 g lotus seed paste or red bean paste
Instructions
Make the koh fun (if needed):
- Preheat oven to 200°F/93°C. Combine the flours together and place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Toast for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Proceed with the recipe.
Lotus paste:
- Divide the lotus paste filling into 8 equal round balls, approximately 28g each.
Make the dough:
- Combine the koh fun, icing sugar, warmed coconut milk, and coconut oil together. Knead together to form a smooth dough.
- Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. (2 portions are blue, 2 portions are red, 2 portions are green, and 2 are white/uncoloured).
For blue:
- To one portion, add in ½ teaspoon Suncore Blue Butterfly Pea Powder and knead the coloured powder into the dough until smooth and incorporated.
- Divide the dough in half so you have 2 blue portions. Form into balls.
For red:
- To the second portion, add in ½ teaspoon red yeast rice powder and 1 teaspoon Suncore Pink Pitaya Superjuice Powder. Again, knead the coloured powder into the dough.
For green:
- Divide the dough in half so you have 2 red portions. Form into balls.
- To the third, add in 1 teaspoon Suncore Emerald Pandan Superjuice Powder. Likewise, knead the coloured powder into the dough.
- Divide the dough in half so you have 2 green portions. Again, form into balls.
*Note, I left 2 pieces uncoloured, but you can choose to use another colour or increase the amount of a similar colour.
- Taking a coloured dough, place into a large piece of plastic wrap. Flatten the dough with a rolling pin to a disc about 2" in diameter.
- Place the filling in the center and enclose the filling with the dough and gently use your hands to form into a round ball.
- Lightly dust a 50 gram mooncake mold with some koh fun.
- Place the ball into a mooncake mold (I used a plastic one with a spring-loaded plunger).
- Invert the mold, press firmly on the plunger to imprint the chosen shape and release the mooncake gently onto a plate.
- Repeat with the remaining.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.
Sarah
These are absolutely beautiful! They remind me of something for a fairy garden party. Thank you for taking the time to educate on the history of Chinese New Year.
Beth
These are so fun! Perfect for celebrating the new year. Thanks for sharing.
Biana
Yum! These mooncakes look so adorable! They will be perfect for brunch, with a cup of tea.
Kristina Tipps
This is so cool! I was gifted a mooncake once by a student of mine but have never seen them in colors. These would make awesome tea party favors for my Mother's Day brunch.
Rika
They look so pretty and cute. I love mooncakes, can't wait to make this recipe.