Moon Cake with Durian and Mung Bean Fillings

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival falls on September 14th in the year 2008. This is the ideal time, when the moon is at its fullest and brightest, to celebrate the abundance of the summer's harvest. The traditional food of this festival is the mooncake of which there are many different varieties. Family members and friends will gather to admire the bright mid-autumn harvest moon, and eat moon cakes. Since Moon Festival will be here in two weeks, I decided to make Moon Cake. I got the moulds from my Aunt in VietNam last year.

Below are some of the ingredients that you will need.

This is the final product. It's not too sweet and that is exactly what I like. This is one of the advantage of making your own moon cake. You can make it anyway you want it.

They will go well with Chinese tea .

Here is a closer look.

This is a sample of how you would put the moon cake shell and fillings into the mould.

I even got the fish mould from my Aunt in Vietnam. Pretty huh? :-)

When you put all the ingredients into the standing mixer to make the shell, don't forget to use the flat beater. This need to mix for at least 20 minutes in fast speed.

After 20 minutes, the texture of the shell will look like this.

This need to be set aside for at least 3 hours or over night before you can put it into the mould. If you use it right away, the shell will be hard and not soft like it suppose to be.

For the fillings, mung bean need to sit in the water over night. Then steam until soft.

Then you use the potato masher and mash it. See below.

After you mashed it, you might even want to put in the blender and puree it. Then the rest of the ingredients need to be added to make the final product of the fillings. Check out the consistency of the filling.

When you are ready to make the moon cake, roll the fillings into ball shape. Each of the ball is 50 gram since my moon cake shell is 100 gram.

I have all my stuff together and ready to make the moon cake.

Roll out the shell, and add the filling in the center. Then put fold the shell together.

Then put it in the mould. See below.

And voila`, you got yourself a moon cake :-)

Family members will gather and enjoy moon cake with Chinese hot tea .

1 bag of flour, I can make 16 moon cakes. Two of them are made out of the mould of a fish.

This is what it looks like when cut. The filling is really yummy since it is my favorite fillings, durian with mung bean . Delish! Enjoy.

Moon Cake

Ingredients:
Simple Syrup:
5 cups of sugar
3 ½ cups of water
-In a pot, add water and sugar. Bring it to a boiled.
-Once it’s boiled, continue to cook for an additional 10 minutes.
-Turn off oven. Let the syrup chill.

*Note:
I usually let the syrup sit over night and use it the next morning.

Moon Cake Shell:

1 bag of (Glutinous-Fried) Rice Flour - Koh Fun. (I used the brand with a rooster on the globe)

5 cups of water.
½ juice of a lemon.

1 Tbps sunflower oil

1-2 tsps of flavoring essence (Amyl Acetate water)
2 small bags of vanilla

-Add all the wet ingredients into the standing mixer (water, lemon juice, oil, flavoring essence).
-Add the simple syrup.
-Add the Rice flour (Koh Fun) slowly a little bit at the time.
-Add 2 bags of vanilla
-Use the flat beater and use number 3 to beat for 20 minutes.
-Pour out the shell into the tray and let it rest for 3 hours.

*Note:
Do not use the shell right away. You should let it sit for at least 3 hours or over night.
After 3 hours, you can start roll the shell into ball shape. Each of my shell is 100 gram in weight since I plan to make each of my fillings 50 grams)

Moon Cake Fillings (I make Durian with Mung Bean fillings).
1 bag of mung bean
200 gram of sugar (You can add more if you like it sweeter)
1 TB of sunflower oil
½ tsp of salt
1-2 ts of vanilla extract
1 – 2 cups of durian meat
½ cup of water
1 tsp of durian extract (optional)

-Add water to the mung bean and let it sit overnight.
-Steam the mung bean until soft
-Use a potatoes masher and mash it.
-Use a blender and puree it.
-Pour the mung bean into a container and set a side.
-Add ½ cup of water into the blender.
-Add the durian meat. Puree it, and set a side.
-Put a pot on the oven, add the oil.
-Add the mung bean
-Add 1tsp of salt.
-Add sugar
-Add the Durian puree
-Add the Durian extract
-Add the sugar
-Add vanilla extract
-Mix everything together.
-Roll each filling into a ball shape (I make my fillings 50 gram each since my moon cake shell is 100 gram each.)

Note:
-When you can use a knife and cut the fillings without sticking to the knife, then the fillings is ready.
-There are many fillings recipe out there. You can make whatever fillings you want.

Method:
-Roll out each shell.
-Add the filling.
-Roll them into a ball shape.
-Dust your mould with flour.
-Add the moon cake.
-Press it down into the mould.
-Take it out the mould.

Note:
After you take the cake out of the mould, you are done making the moon cake. The finish product should be very pretty and tasty. This can be served with Hot Tea.