Suzhou-Style Mooncakes

Chinese Suzhou Mooncakes are pale in appearance, with delicate, flaky layers encasing a rich, flavorful filling, traditionally finished with a signature red stamp on top.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Asian, Chinese

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 25

Resting Time 2 10

Total Time 3 5

Servings

Calories 372kcal

Author Michelle

Ingredients

Water dough:

134 g all-purpose flour
26 ml pork lard or coconut oil
58 ml water

Oil dough:

134 g cake flour
58 ml pork lard or coconut oil

Filling:

480 g red bean paste or lotus seed paste, black sesame paste
salted egg yolk optional

Instructions

Make the water dough:

Knead all together into smooth and elastic form of dough.
Cover with plastic wrap and rest for 1 hour.

Make the oil dough:

Mix together cake flour and lard into a dough. Cover with plastic wrap.

Make the filling:

Divide and form the red bean paste into balls, about 60g per filling.
(Note: if using salted egg yolk -- form paste into a ball, make a divot in the center with your thumb, and place salted egg yolk into the divot. Wrap and seal the yolk, rolling into a smooth ball).
Repeat with the remaining paste and salted egg yolks.

Make the pastry:

Roll to flatten the water dough into a large disk.
Place the oil dough in the center of the water dough, encasing the oil dough inside. Form into a large smooth dough.
Roll to flatten the dough into a large rectangle and fold the dough into thirds, like a book. Cover and rest the dough for 20 minutes.
Repeat the same step by rolling into a large rectangle, and then folding the dough into thirds. Rest for another 20 minutes.
Roll to flatten the dough into a large rectangle.
Coil up the dough into a long log.
Cut the log into 8 even portions, about 50g each.

Assemble:

Flatten the piece of dough into a disc about 5.5" wide.
Place the filling in the center and encase it to form a ball.
If it's too dry, dab a little water to help seal the edges.
Take a 2.5" round cookie cutter, shape the pastry and flatten it to about 1" thick, using the bottom of a ¼ C measuring cup.
Let the pastries rest for 30 minutes before baking.

Bake:

Preheat oven to 325°F/163°C.
Place a few drops of red food coloring into a small dish.
Use a 1" square piece of paper towel as an ink pad.
Stamp the pastries in the red food coloring with the Chinese blessing character stamp.
Bake mooncake pastries at 325°F/163°C for 25 minutes until they puff slightly.
Note: Suzhou mooncakes are suppose to retain their pale color after baking.
Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Nutrition