Snowy Moon Cake 冰皮月餅

Snowy moon cake or icy skin moon cake both refer to a relatively new moon cake invented by a Hong Kong bakery called Tai Pan in recent years. The traditional Cantonese moon cake is ususally filled with lotus seed paste with a salted duck egg yolk and baked in a thin crust. Ususally it is loaded with lard and sugar and can be kept for a long time. But in this health conscious time, a healthier version made with vegetable oil and less sugar is welcome by many.

This snowy moon cake does not involve any baking and it includes a variety of fillings. There's taro, black sesame, mung bean, red bean, custard, mango, durian...you name it. Since the outer skin is usually white and it needs to be refrigerated, thus the name is snowy. It is relatively easy to make compared to the traditional one. But you do need a mold to make it look like a moon cake, otherwise it is just like a mochi.

Last year I had tried a number of recipes and this one has the best texture, is the easiest to handle and stays soft for the longest time--up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

Makes about 10-12 cakes, 75g each

Ingredients for the outer skin:

20g cake flour
40g glutinous flour
50g rice flour
40g wheat starch
60g sugar
300g milk
6g/about ½ tbsp vegetable shortening
cooked glutinous flour for dusting

1)  Mix all the flour and sift. Add sugar and milk and mix well.
2)  Steam the batter for 20-30 minutes.
3)  Let it cool to room temperature. Add the shortening and knead for a few minutes or until it is not as sticky. Cover and refrigerate for at least half an hour or overnight in the fridge before using.

Taro Filling to make 10-12; 32g for each cake:

270g taro
80g sugar
40g butter

Peel the taro and cut into chunks. Steam for 20 minutes until it is soft. Smash it with a fork and add sugar and butter. Mix well and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight before using.

Black Sesame Filling to make 10-12; 32g for each cake:

180g unsweetened black sesame powder
45g cooked glutinous flour
72g/6 tbsp vegetable shortening
64g/4 tbsp peanut butter
100g sugar

Simply mix all the above ingredients and form balls weighing 32g each. Put in the fridge for an hour to harden.

Moon Cake Assembly:

1)  Divide the skin into 10-12 balls, 43g each. Divide the filling into 10-12 balls also, 32g each.

2)  Wrap each filling with a skin and pinch to seal. Dust with some cooked glutinous flour to prevent sticking. Put into the mold and press gently.

3)  Put the moon cakes in a tightly sealed box in the refrigerator.

Notes:

1)  Depend on the size of the mold, keep the ratio of skin to filling to 4:3.

2)  For the best texture, the moon cake is best to be served the next day. It can be kept for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
3)  Knead the dough well and add more cooked flour as needed to prevent sticking.
4)  There are alternate ways to make the black sesame filling that use mung bean paste as a base. Feel free to explore different ways to suit your taste.
5)  You can prepare cooked glutinous flour by frying it in a pan in low heat for about 15 minutes or until it turns slightly yellow. Do not put oil in the pan.
6)  No moon cake mold? No problem. Click here for ordering information.

冰皮月餅

冰皮月餅是近年香港大班餅店的新產品,它一面世便大受歡迎,雪白的外表內可以配上很多不同口味的餡料,如香芋,黑芝麻,綠豆茸,奶黄,芒果,甚至榴槤也有。比起傳统月餅,花式多又比較健康,而且又容易自己動手做,不須要焗,只須要一個月餅模便可。

傳统月餅已食了幾千年,係時候要攪攪新意思 !!

以下是我上年試過眾多食譜中最好的一個,口感好,容易包,又可以放雪柜幾日也能保持新鮮及口感。

此份量可做十至十二個月餅,75g一個

外皮材料:

低筋麵粉  20g
糯米粉  40g
粘米粉  50g
澄麵  40g
糖  60g
奶  300g
固體菜油  6g/約 ½ 湯匙
適量熟糕粉作手粉防黏

1)  將所有粉類過篩,加糖及奶攪拌, 大火蒸廿分鐘至熟。
2)  待凉後加入固體菜油,搓幾分鐘至不再那麼黏手,放雪柜至少半小時才用,或過夜也可。

芋頭餡

(可做十至十二個, 32g一個)

芋頭  270g
糖 80g
牛油  40g

芋頭去皮,切大塊,大火蒸約廿分鐘至軟身,用叉壓碎,加糖及牛油攪勻,放雪柜至少一小時或過夜。

黑芝麻餡

(可做十至十二個, 32g一個)

無糖黑芝麻粉  180g
熟糕粉  45g
固體菜油  72g/6湯匙
糖  100g
花生醬  64g/4 湯匙

將所有材料攪拌均勻,搓成32g重的球形。

冰皮月餅做法:
預備好皮及餡料,分成十至十二等份,將一份皮壓平及薄,包入一份餡,收好口後,灑上手粉,放入模內輕手壓出花紋便成。放入食物盒內放雪柜保存,過一日食口感最好。

注意事項:
1)  皮與餡的比例是4:3,如你的模是不同大小,請按這比例。
2)  包好後過一晚食口感最好,過了三、四日後會變硬。
3)  皮蒸好放凉後要搓好才包,否則黏手難包。
4)  黑芝麻餡有多種做法,其中一種是用綠豆茸加黑芝麻粉,口感也不錯。
5)  如沒有熟糕粉,可以將糯米粉放入白鑊內用慢火炒熟,約十五分鐘至微黄便可。
6)  沒有月餅模？無問題，請點擊 這裏 。