Snow Pastry Moon Cake

Few days back I had gone for learning something new in the class conducted at the CC. What must it be... Moon Cakes... Moon cakes very popular in the chinese people....
There are different kinds of moon cakes. I have always seen them in the bakeries and had tasted the vegetarian moon cakes a few times. Sweet in taste these moon cakes have their own significance in the Chinese history.

Moon cakes play a important role in August Moon gatherings and gift giving. Some moon cakes have the golden egg yolk in the centre which looks like bright moon. These round cakes symbolize family unity and perfection. Moon cake molds are of different kinds. Some are big and some small. The bakers use wooden molds with distinguishing signs on them.
Making moon cakes requires a lot of time, preparation and tremendous patience....
I have learnt a few types and all those I will be sharing one by one with all of you here.. hope you all also enjoy reading and making these moon cakes...

The first one is SNOW PASTRY MOON CAKE
This a bit simpler than the other moon cakes as it does not require any baking... So here goes the recipe.
SNOW PASTRY MOON CAKE (Banana Flavour
Serves: 10 moon cakes
INGREDIENTS:
For the cover
Icing sugar 350 gms (can adjust according to taste)
Shortening (crisco) 100gms
Kou flour 250 gms
Banana essence few drops
Water 300 gms (boiled and cooled)
For the filling
Lotus paste 1.5 kg
Melon seeds 50 gms
Peanut Oil ½ bowl (use as needed)
We are going to knead the lotus paste and the covering on the kitchen platform. So make sure the platform is very very clean.
Method
1. Toast the melon seeds in the oven for about 10 min. Take the lotus paste on the kitchen platform little by little and knead it with oil till it is smooth. Mix the melon seeds to it and make small balls of about 120gms in weight and keep aside.

2. Mix the water and essence and keep aside.
3. Seive the kou flour and icing sugar together on the kitchen platform. Then add the shortening (crisco) and knead.

4. Make a well in the middle, add water mixed with banana essence little by little and knead the dough. Dust your hands with a little flour if needed. Leave it to rest for about 30 to 60 mins covered in a plastic bag/ or cloth.

5. Again take and knead the dough lightly and make small balls of about 50gms.
6. Make the dough flat using a rolling pin and then wrap the filling in it and then press hard into the cake mould. To remove the cake from the mould by tapping hard at the back of the mould.

7. Keep the moon cake covered in the fridge for 30 min and it is ready to eat.
8. These moon cakes will last for about 2-3 weeks in the fridge. Keep them covered in a box.

Note: Kou flour is the flour made out of glutinous rice. Its cooked so we can eat the moon cake directly. No need to bake.
You can use any oil for kneading the lotus paste, but pure peanut oil is said to be good and tastes better.
Imp: It is very very important to weight the size of each and every filling and covering of the moon cake to fit in the correct size of mould. Or the mook cake will loose its shape.

SNOW PASTRY MOON CAKE (Pandan Flavour)
Boil the pandan leaves nicely and then strain. Cool and use this water mixed with little apple essence (green colour) or any essence and colour of your choice. Then repeat the same procedure above......

Note: If you want to add a egg yolk to the above moon cakes. Use salted eggs. Wash the egg yolks in wine and steam them for 10 min. Cool and then wrap it up in the lotus paste ball. Then follow the steps 6,7 and eight. Remember the weight of the lotus paste filling together with the egg yolk should be 120gms.