What are Moon Cakes???

Answer 1

Mooncake
The mooncake () is a Chinese cake-like confection that is traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival, although mooncakes can be eaten at other times throughout the year as well.
Mooncakes are round in shape to symbolize the moon. According to legend, when the Mongol Yuan Dynasty ruled China in the 14th century, Chinese rebels were able to overthrow the Mongols in part because they hid secret messages inside mooncakes, which the Mongols did not eat, that were then passed around.

Most mooncakes are made of ground lotus, or of bean or seed paste, and other ingredients, occasionally with egg yolks in the center. Different types of bean paste, from mung bean paste to azuki bean paste, can be used; in any case, the preparation of the bean paste is very time-consuming, requiring two to four weeks, so families usually buy them at professional bakeries instead of making the mooncakes themselves. Sometimes one or two dried, salted whole egg yolks are baked inside. Mooncakes are expensive and considered a delicacy, and modern mooncakes come in many flavors and sizes. There are even fat-free forms for the health-conscious (traditional mooncakes are often baked with lard).

In the West, mooncakes can be purchased in Chinatowns. Typical mooncakes are about 10 cm in diameter, 4-5 cm thick, and are very dense, especially in comparison to Western cakes. Westerners are often surprised at how much the cake weighs relative to its size.

Lotus Seed Paste Moon Cake Recipe
Category : dessert / snack | Style : baking | Serves : 20 pieces |
Traditional delicacy for the mid-autumn festivals, commonly known as moon cake festival



Ingredients

1 can (17 ounces) Lotus seed paste
60 g Finely chopped walnuts
900 g All purpose flour
115 g Milk powder, dried
1/2 tsp Salt
3 Eggs
115 g Sugar
115 g Solid shortening, melted and cooled
1 Egg yolk, lightly beaten



Method :

Mix the lotus seed paste and walnut together in a bowl and set aside.

Using electric mixed, beat eggs on medium speed until light and lemon colored, then add sugar and beat for another 10 minutes or until mixture falls in a thick ribbon. Add melted shortening and mix lightly.

In the meantime, sift flour, milk powder, baking powder and salt together into a bowl.

With a spatula, fold in the flour mixture

Turn the dough out on a board, lightly powdered with flour. Knead for 1 minute until smooth and satiny. Divide dough in half, and roll each half into a log and cut each log into 10 - 12 equal pieces.

To shape the moon cake, roll a piece of dough into a ball. Roll out on a lightly floured board to make a 4-inch circle approx. 1/8 inch thick.

Place one heaped tablespoon of lotus seed paste mixture in center of dough circle.

Fold in the sides to completely enclose filing, press the edges to seal.

Lightly flour the inside of the moon cake mold. Place moon cake, seam side up, in the mold and flatten dough to conform to shape of mold.

To dislodge the moon cake, bang one end of the mold lightly on a hard surface.

Place cake on ungreased baking sheet. Repeat for the remaining ingredients and brush tops with egg yolk.

Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree F. oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown, transfer to rack and let cool.


Durian Moon Cake Recipe
Category : dessert / snack | Style : baking | Serves : 18 - 20 |


Ingredients for pastry:
300g golden syrup
3/4 tbsp alkaline water
95g corn oil
400g plain flour - sifted
1/4 tsp thick soy sauce (for colour)


To make the pastry:
1. Combine golden syrup and alkaline water in a mixing bowl.

2. Add corn oil and mix with a wooden spoon.

3. Add thick soy sauce and stir well. Set aside for 4-5 hours.

4. Fold in sifted flour and mix evenly to form a smooth dough.

5. Set dough aside again for another 4-5 hours




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Ingredients for durian filling:

300g durian flesh - blend into puree
500g lotus seeds - boil in 1,200ml water until soft and blend into a paste
4 tbsp castor sugar
500g castor sugar* 2 tbsp maltose

To make the filling:
1. Put 4 tbsp sugar in a heavy-based wok, and cook till you get golden brown caramel.

2. Add lotus seed paste gradually and cook till smooth. Add 500g sugar and stir till mixture thickens.

3. Add oil gradually and mix well. Add durian and maltose. Stir until mixture is smooth and does not stick to the centre of the wok.

4. Remove and cool, preferably overnight, before dividing the filling into 110g balls.

Footnote: If you like a filling with a nutty bite, add 50g toasted olive nuts after the filling has cooled completely.




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To make egg glaze, mix well and strain:

1 egg yolk
1 whole egg
1 tbsp water
Pinch of salt

To make the moon cake:
1. Divide pastry dough into 45g balls. Flatten dough and wrap durian filling.

2. Dust wooden mould lightly with flour, tapping out any excess.

3. Put dough-wrapped filling into mould. Knock out and place moon cakes on slightly greased tray.

4. Bake in preheated oven at 180°C for 13 minutes. Remove and leave to cool for 1 minute.

5. Brush with egg glaze and bake for another 5 minutes or till done


Figurine Moon Cake Biscuit Recipe
Category : dessert / snack | Style : baking | Serves : approx. 10 pcs |


Ingredient:

Use the remaining dough from the moon cake dough pastry.



Method:

2. Add a little more flour to the dough, if necessary, then divide dough into small equal portions.

3. Use dough to wrap small amount of durian filling.

4. Press dough into figurine moulds dusted lightly with flour.
5. Knock out the figurine moon cakes,

6. Arrange on greased trays and bake in preheated oven at 180°C for 10 minutes.

7. Remove from the oven.

8. After a minute, brush biscuits with egg glaze.

9. Return to bake for another 4 minutes or till they turn golden brown

Chocolate Moon Cake Recipe
Category : dessert / snack | Style : baking | Serves : approx.10 pcs |


Ingredients
300g golden syrup
3/4 tbsp alkaline water
75ml corn oil
1 tsp chocolate essence
1/2 tsp coffee essence


Sift twice:
375g plain flour
25g cocoa powder


To make egg glaze

mix well and strain the following

1 egg yolk
1/2 tbsp water
Large pinch of salt
Combine golden syrup, alkaline water and corn oil in a mixing bowl, then set aside for 4-5 hours.



Method:

Blend in essences and fold in sifted dry ingredients.

Mix into a dough and set aside again for another 4-5 hours.

Divide pastry dough into small 45g balls. Flatten dough and wrap durian filling.

Dust wooden mould lightly with flour and put in dough-wrapped filling.

Knock out and place moon cakes on slightly greased trays.

Bake in preheated oven at 180°C for 13 minutes. Remove and leave to cool.

After a minute, brush with egg glaze and bake for another 5 minutes or till done

Answer 2

You mean Moon Pies? I've never heard of a moon cake. Moon Pies are a couple of wafer cakes with marshmallow in the middle and chocolate coverig the whole thing.

Answer 3

They're cakes, usually made of a sweet paste filling in a cake shell, that the Chinese eat during various holidays (and just whenever).

Answer 4

If you are talking about Moon Pies, they are yummy chocolate covered cakes that have marshmallow on the inside.

Answer 5

Little Debbie makes these Moon Cakes...You can find them at your grocery store...It's usually chocolate covered gram crackers, with a marshmallow creme filling...

Answer 6

a kind of cookie with fillings of sugar, fat, sesame, walnut, lotus seeds, the yoke of preserved eggs, ham, dried flower petals or other material. The surface of the food is patterned with clouds, the moon, the rabbit.

Answer 7

its a cultural desert, viet, chinese, etc eat it around the time of the moon festival and the fall festival, and new years. the cake it self consists of different varieties of nuts, meats, and fruit.

Answer 8

Nasty I do not recomend them a friend made me try them YUCK!! Never Again. They are little pie thingys like debbie cakes.

Answer 9

It's a marshallow between two cookies and the whole thing is covered in chocolate.

Answer 10

they are a marshmallow treat (almost like an oatmeal pie) covered in chocolate. it's quite good.

Answer 11

moon cakes are very very very...um I don't know yet...