Hong Kong–Style Mooncakes with Red Bean Filling
Recipe from Melissa Hom
The Mid-Autumn Festival, like the Italian celebration of Ferragosto, has ancient roots in the harvest and centers on gathering with family and friends. Celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, it’s also tied to the Chinese legend of Chang’e, the moon goddess. I’m not a farmer, and while I enjoy a dose of witchy mysticism, what I love most is the tradition of coming together to share in the bounty.
Mooncakes have long been given and shared throughout the season. Traditional Cantonese versions wrap lotus seed paste and a salted duck egg yolk in a golden-brown crust, while newer fillings range from ube and matcha to red bean and black sesame. Other styles can be flaky, shortbread-like, or even wrapped in a soft, unbaked snow skin. Try them all, starting with this Hong Kong–style red bean recipe, baked in the Wonder Oven.
16 mooncakes
(50g each)
What You'll Need
Special Equipment
Digital kitchen scale
Blender or food processor
Fine-mesh strainer, optional
Rolling pin
50 g mooncake press
Pastry brush
Ingredients
Red Bean Paste
225 g dried adzuki beans
1.4 L water
150 g granulated, light brown, or maple sugar
½ teaspoon food-grade lye water, optional
45 ml neutral or nut oil
Mooncake Dough
140 g golden syrup
60 g vegetable oil
¾ teaspoon food-grade lye water
210 g all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
Egg Wash
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon water
Plan ahead: Soak the beans overnight. After baking, the mooncakes need to rest for 48 to 72 hours before serving.
Directions
Make the Red Bean Paste
Step 1
Place the beans in a large bowl, cover generously with water, and soak overnight. Drain the beans and transfer them to a medium pot. Add the 6 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat.
Step 2
Partially cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beans are very tender and crush easily, about 1½ hours.
Step 3
Transfer the beans and any remaining cooking liquid to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. For an especially smooth filling, press the purée through a fine-mesh strainer with the back of a ladle.
Step 4
Return the purée to the pot and add the sugar and lye water, if using. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom and sides of the pot, until the purée thickens into a pliable paste that holds its shape when folded, 10 to 20 minutes. The mixture may bubble and spatter at first, so stir carefully and keep it moving to prevent scorching.
Step 5
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the oil until the paste is smooth and glossy. Transfer to a heatproof container, cover, and refrigerate until completely chilled.
Step 6
With lightly oiled hands, divide the chilled paste into sixteen 25 g portions and roll each into a ball. Return the balls to the refrigerator until ready to assemble. You should have about ½ cup of paste left over for toast, pancakes, or ice cream.
Make and Shape the Mooncakes
Step 7
In a large bowl, whisk together the golden syrup, vegetable oil, and lye water until smooth. Add the flour and mix until a cohesive dough forms.
Step 8
Divide the dough into sixteen 25 g portions and roll each into a ball. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.
Step 9
Set the Wonder Oven to Bake at 180°C. Lightly dust a work surface and the inside of a 50 g mooncake press with flour.
Step 10
Roll one portion of dough into a 3½-inch circle. Place one red bean paste ball in the middle, then bring the dough up and around the filling. Pinch the edges together to seal, making sure the filling is completely enclosed. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
Step 11
Lightly dust one filled ball with flour and place it in the mooncake press. Position the press directly over the Bake Pan, then press down firmly and hold for about 10 seconds to imprint the design. Release the mooncake onto the pan. Repeat with 7 more mooncakes, leaving a little space between each one.
Step 12
Bake for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolk and water with a fork.
Step 13
Remove the Bake Pan from the Wonder Oven and lightly brush the tops of the mooncakes with egg wash, taking care not to fill in the stamped details. Return them to the Wonder Oven and bake until deeply golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes more.
Step 14
Transfer the mooncakes to a wire rack and let cool completely. Repeat with the remaining mooncakes.
Step 15
Place the cooled mooncakes in an airtight container and let them rest for 48 to 72 hours before serving. During this time, the firm crust will soften and develop the texture characteristic of Cantonese mooncakes.
💡Melissa's Tips
- Red bean paste is much easier to clean before it dries. Soak the pot, blender, strainer, and utensils in warm water as soon as you’ve finished using them.
- For matcha mooncake skins, replace 10 g of the all-purpose flour with 10 g of matcha powder.
Storage
Store the mooncakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Bring them to room temperature before serving.
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Melissa Hom
Melissa Hom is a New York City–based food, restaurant, and product photographer. She’s married to a chef turned commercial kitchen designer and is the mother of a child who currently prefers buttered pasta. They’re working on it. Follow her on Instagram @melissa_hom.
