The mid-autumn festival is just around the corner. Last week, I made my first trip to Kwong Cheong Thye and was awe to see so many types of lotus paste for making mooncakes. This place is highly recommended as the lotus paste is not so sweet compared to those which I have bought in the past from other baking supplier shops.
You will find many interesting flavours like red wine cranberry lotus paste, low sugar green apple lotus paste, low sugar passionfruit lotus paste, HK pearl milk tea lotus paste, green tea dried longan lotus paste, red date longan lotus paste, etc. (too many to name all, don't you feel spoilt for choice? :p) You even get to sample the paste if you visit their retail outlet at Aljunied. The price for the more unique flavours is $18 for a one kilogram pack. You can request the staff to cut the portion into half and buy at 500g if you think one pack is too much for you. That's what I did and I could buy more flavours. :)
After getting the lotus paste, I decided to make some shanghai mooncakes which is on my to-bake list since last year. I have adapted the recipe from blogger Cheah's No-frills recipe and made some changes to it. I have replaced the shortening with butter as you know being a health conscious me, I avoid using this unhealthy ingredient if I can.
The Shanghai mooncakes turned out well and are very fragrant. The pastry is similar to the pineapple tart which uses the rub-in method when making the dough. For this first attempt, I have made it specially for my good friend Emily. I was meeting her for lunch that day and got up at 5am to do the baking before my little one woke up, I am glad that she likes it and the feedback I got from her is the mooncakes are very delicious and the paste is not too sweet, just right! I think the lotus paste has played an important part here, don't you think so? I will stick to Kwong Cheong Thye from now on if I want to get lotus paste. So if you are thinking of making some homemade mooncakes for your loved ones and friends, why not make a trip down to KCT and grab some interesting flavours? :)
(Note: I am not related to Kwong Cheong Thye nor paid for promoting their products. Just purely sharing something which I find good with all.)
Shanghai Mooncakes
Ingredients : (makes about 11)
Pastry Skin
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300 gm Plain Flour
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40 gm Custard Powder
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1 tsp Baking Powder
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80 gm Icing Sugar
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1 Egg, lightly beaten
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150 gm Unsalted Butter
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1/4 tsp Salt
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1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
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Some Pumpkin seeds or Almond Flakes for decorations (I used black/white sesame seeds)
Filling :
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605g of lotus seed paste (I use assorted flavours bought from Kwong Cheong Thye)
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Salted Egg Yolks
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1/4 tsp sesame oil
Egg Glaze:
Method :
1. Sift the flour with the baking powder, custard powder, and salt into a mixing bowl.
2. Sift in the icing sugar and mix well into the flour mixture.
3. Cut in the unsalted butter, rub in till resembles bread crumbs. (I use my Wilton pastry cutter.)
4. Make a well in the centre and add in the lightly beaten egg, combine into a soft dough without kneading it. Let it rest for 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, wash the salted egg yolks, add in 1/4 tsp sesame oil, roll into the egg yolks, steam for about 2 minutes. Leave aside to cool.
6. Divide the lotus paste into portions of 55 grams each, roll into balls. Wrap the salted egg yolk in the centre of the lotus paste ball.
7. Divide the dough into portions of 60 grams each, roll into balls.
8. Place the dough into a plastic bag, roll into a flat disk, cut open the plastic bag, unfurl, wrap a piece of filling in the centre, and shape into a dome. Arrange them on a lightly greased baking tray.
9. Decorate with some sesame seeds, and bake in a preheated oven at 180 deg.C for about 10 minutes. Take them out of the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
10. Brush them with egg glaze and return to the oven to bake for another 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
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