Food & Receipts

The Ultimate Guide to Making Delicious Mini Mooncakes at Home

If you're tired of the same old traditional large-sized Mid-Autumn Festival mooncakes, why not try something new and create your very own adorable and quirky mini mooncakes at home?

Administrator

26 August, 2024

Preparation
30 minutes Cooking
30 minutes Serves
2 – 3 people

The Mid-Autumn Festival is an annual traditional holiday celebrated by the Vietnamese on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. Some characteristic symbols of this festival include star-shaped lanterns, the Moon Goddess, and Cuoi (a legendary character who is believed to live on the Moon). It is customary for families to gather and enjoy a feast with traditional mooncakes. Instead of buying them, why not try making these adorable mini mooncakes in your own kitchen?

1 Ingredients for Mini Mooncakes

Ingredients for Mini Mooncakes

240g all-purpose flour
160ml mooncake syrup
30g peanut oil
1 egg yolk
10g peanut butter
Pandan leaves
100g mung beans
1 chicken egg
5ml sesame oil
15ml milk
Tools: mooncake mold (50g), parchment paper, oven.

2 How to Make Mini Mooncakes

Step 1 Make the Dough

Making the Dough

In a large bowl, create a well in the center of the all-purpose flour. Gradually add the mooncake syrup, peanut oil, egg yolk, and peanut butter.

Next, use a fork to mix the ingredients together in a spiral motion from the center outwards. Once the mixture starts to come together, use your hands to knead the dough until it becomes smooth. Finally, cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for 20 minutes.

Step 2 Shape the Filling and Roll Out the Dough

Shaping the Filling and Rolling Out the Dough

Take about 35g of the filling and shape it into a ball.

For the dough, take approximately 15g of dough and roll it into a ball. Work quickly to prevent the dough from drying out. Dust some flour on the rolling surface to prevent sticking, place the dough on it, and roll it out thinly.

Tip: To make the mung bean and pandan leaf filling, simply blend the pandan leaves and strain the juice. Cook the mung beans with salt and sugar until soft, then mash or blend them. Combine the mixture in a pan with sugar, oil, and flour. Finally, add the pandan leaf juice and cook until the mixture becomes thick and smooth.

Step 3 Shape the Mooncakes

Shaping the Mooncakes

Place the mung bean filling in the center of the dough and wrap it tightly to ensure the filling doesn’t leak out during baking. Dust some flour on the outside of the ball, then place it in the mooncake mold and press down firmly to imprint the design onto the dough.

Step 4 Bake the Mooncakes

Baking the Mooncakes

Line a baking tray with parchment paper and arrange the mooncakes on it. Bake at 180°C for 8 minutes.

Spray water on the surface of the mooncakes; this prevents them from rising too much and cracking the imprinted design. Then, apply an egg wash made from the chicken egg, sesame oil, and milk, using gentle strokes and covering the entire surface evenly. Bake for a second time at 180°C for 7 minutes.

At this point, the mooncakes should have a light golden color. Apply the egg wash again and bake for the final time at 180°C for 5 minutes.

Step 5 Enjoy Your Mini Mooncakes

Mini Mooncake Creations

Your mini mooncakes can be enjoyed within 3 days of baking.

3 Serving Suggestions

Enjoying Mooncakes

These mini mooncakes have a soft dough and an appealing color. The mung bean filling is sweet and creamy, with a distinctive aroma from the pandan leaves. This is definitely a must-try mooncake for the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival. You can also explore other to cater to different tastes and preferences.

4 Adorable Mini Mooncake Designs

Cute Mini Mooncake Designs

Cartoon-Inspired Mooncakes

Ombre Mooncakes

Colorful Mooncakes

Mini Mooncakes

Where to Buy Authentic and Affordable Mooncakes Online?

This article has provided a recipe for making delicious mini mooncakes at home. We hope that you will use this recipe to showcase your culinary skills and create beautiful mooncakes to enjoy with your family and friends during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Frequently asked questions

Mini mooncakes are a smaller version of the traditional mooncake, a rich and dense pastry typically enjoyed during the Mid-Autumn Festival in Chinese and Vietnamese cultures. These mini versions are becoming increasingly popular as they offer a more bite-sized and manageable portion, making them perfect for gifts and sampling multiple flavors.

The essential ingredients for mini mooncakes include wheat flour, golden syrup, alkaline water, and peanut oil for the dough. For the filling, you’ll need lotus seed paste (either sweet or salty) and salted egg yolks. Additional ingredients like melon seeds, five-spice powder, and food coloring can be used for variation and decoration.

To make the dough, mix wheat flour, golden syrup, alkaline water, and peanut oil until a smooth and elastic dough is formed. The dough should be rested and then divided into small portions for shaping.

To assemble the mini mooncakes, flatten each portion of dough and wrap it around a ball of lotus seed paste, ensuring the paste is fully enclosed. Then, brush the surface with egg wash and carefully place a salted egg yolk half on top, pressing gently. Bake the mooncakes in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for about 10 minutes, or until the surface turns a light golden brown.

Mini mooncakes can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. For longer storage, they can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. It is not recommended to freeze baked mooncakes as it may affect their texture.

Yes, mini mooncakes can be made in advance and frozen before baking. Shape and wrap the mooncakes, and then place them on a tray in the freezer until they are solid. Once frozen, transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag and store them for up to 3 months. Bake them directly from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.