Mooncake: Cook-off IV

[trillium]

Trillium is correct. The red beans are smaller than adzuki beans. As for the kan sui, just get a small bottle as it goes a long way, you only use it by teaspoonfuls after all.

I did notice that that the adzuki beans are smaller. But what about the difference in taste? I may go ahead and buy some just to see how much of a difference it really makes.

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I think it's more a texture difference then a taste one. Adzuki beans seem firmer to me, and retain their shape.

If you can't find decent egg noodles where you live, kan sui is nice for making them too.

regards,

trillium

[sheetz]

OK, another couple of questions.

Is there any particular shape or size of mooncake that is easier to deal with? Do the square ones bake as easily as the round ones?

Another one about alkaline water. I was going to purchase lye water from Pacificrimgourmet.com but the type they sell is a sodium hydroxide solution. The type that Chinese typically use is a potassium carbonate solution. Does anyone know if there is a big difference between them? I'd rather not have to ask my folks to ship it to me since it's a caustic chemical.

Another option I have is to buy powdered potassium carbonate and mix my own solution. Does anyone know how strong a solution I would need?

[Tepee]

Sheetz, my bottle of alkaline water has sodium silicate and soda ash as ingredients. Sorry, can't help you more, chemistry not being my fav science subject.

Square or round? If you have a fan-forced oven, it shouldn't make much of a difference. Good to have at least 2 moulds so that you can tell apart the different mooncakes you're making. I buy moulds for aesthetic reasons.

Edited August 30, 2005 by Tepee (log)

[Tepee]

Another point to look for in deciding on using adzuki beans or china red beans - look at the skin. I'm not sure but I think the skins of adzuki beans are thicker? You need to choose beans with thin skin which can soften and be mashed up as much as possible (pushing through a sieve will refine the paste further).

[sheetz]

Sheetz, my bottle of alkaline water has sodium silicate and soda ash as ingredients. Sorry, can't help you more, chemistry not being my fav science subject.

Square or round? If you have a fan-forced oven, it shouldn't make much of a difference. Good to have at least 2 moulds so that you can tell apart the different mooncakes you're making. I buy moulds for aesthetic reasons.

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OK, so it looks like your alkaline water has sodium carbonate (soda ash). I'm guessing the differences between the various solutions won't be that big so I'll go ahead and buy the sodium hydroxide lye water.

I don't have an oven fan, so I'll get the round molds.

Regarding the red/Adzuki beans, I had planned on passing the paste through a sieve anyways, so maybe the skins won't make much difference. BTW, do you have a good recipe for the red bean paste?

[Tepee]

Here you go.......

Red Bean Mooncake Filling

225g red beans, soaked overnite

175g sugar

1T maltose

170 ml peanut/groundnut oil

Place red beans in a pot, and add water to 5cm (around 2 inches) above the beans. Boil till soft. Drain.

Blend the softened beans in a food processor until fine. Sieve for finer texture.

Put the blended beans, sugar and oil into a heavy-based pot and cook over medium heat for about an hour, stirring all the time, until the mixture thickens. Expect some exciting oil splatters after 15 minutes into cooking. Fun!

If available, you may add 1 tablespoon of rose jam (mooi kwai lo). Lovely flavor.

Adjust sugar to taste for future batches. This recipe is on the not-so-sweet side.

Edited August 30, 2005 by Tepee (log)

[sheetz]

^

-Noticed you don't use alkaline water for the red bean paste.

-I don't think I can get rose jam anywhere, but you've given me something to think about.

Thanks!

[Dejah]

^

-Noticed you don't use alkaline water for the red bean paste.

-I don't think I can get rose jam anywhere, but you've given me something to think about.

Thanks!

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How about rose water?

I find the adzuki beans are smaller and took longer to cook, even after soaking.

I made red bean soup once with adzuki and it's just not the same.

[Tepee]

-Noticed you don't use alkaline water for the red bean paste.

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Alkaline water (very small amount) is used for making the traditional cantonese skin. If you find alkaline water in a paste recipe, like lotus seed paste, it's to help loosen the skin for easy rubbing-off. That is rinsed off.

Edited August 31, 2005 by Tepee (log)

[Tepee]

How about rose water?

I find the adzuki beans are smaller and took longer to cook, even after soaking.

I made red bean soup once with adzuki and it's just not the same.

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I suppose it'll work, Sue-On. We can find chinese rose jam, but I haven't seen rose water here*. My rose water I get from Australia.

*If any Msians see this and know where to get this locally, let me know. I've run out of rose water and would love to make some turkish delight.

Adzuki beans are smaller? But, yes, I find it less tasty.

[trillium]

I'm surprised you can't find an Indian or Pakastani rose water? The South Asian grocery stores are usually where I buy rose and orange flower water and rose petal jam.

regards,

trillium

[sheetz]

-Noticed you don't use alkaline water for the red bean paste.

←

Alkaline water (very small amount) is used for making the traditional cantonese skin. If you find alkaline water in a paste recipe, like lotus seed paste, it's to help loosen the skin for easy rubbing-off. That is rinsed off.

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I would have thought that it's to make the beans softer. In many bean recipes, baking soda (which is also alkaline) is added to the simmering liquid for that reason.

[sheetz]

^

-Noticed you don't use alkaline water for the red bean paste.

-I don't think I can get rose jam anywhere, but you've given me something to think about.

Thanks!

←

How about rose water?

I was thinking of using rose water, too. But there's also plenty of other things, like almond and vanilla extract, or various liqueurs.

[Seitch]

^

-Noticed you don't use alkaline water for the red bean paste.

-I don't think I can get rose jam anywhere, but you've given me something to think about.

Thanks!

←

How about rose water?

I find the adzuki beans are smaller and took longer to cook, even after soaking.

I made red bean soup once with adzuki and it's just not the same.

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Yep, I agree...must use the small red beans and not adzuki for red bean soup. I think the flavor is better.

[Tepee]

My first attempt at Teochew Spiral Mooncake....pls be kind.

I used this recipe but I must have done something wrong bcos it looks very different. Could I have used the wrong side of the pastry? Anyway, I don't quite like the taste of the crust...too oily, 'sides, I never liked the taste of shortening...and it's a bit tasteless. I didn't color the yam paste...che gay sik mah (eating ourselves).

Harro??? I thought some people were supposed to be making mooncakes over the weekend?

Edited September 8, 2005 by Tepee (log)

[Dejah]

My first attempt at Teochew Spiral Mooncake....pls be kind.

Harro??? I thought some people were supposed to be making mooncakes over the weekend?

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Oh Lordy! Here she comes again to tempt and torture!

There's a right side and a wrong side to pastry?

[Tepee]

There's a right side and a wrong side to pastry?

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My previous experience with water and oil dough pastries did not have any one dough colored. This is the first time I had to color an oil dough, which resulted in very beautiful spirals on the cut side. Problem is, in the recipe you're asked not to squish the dough too hard, lest the oil dough comes out. When I was rolling it out (cut side down), it looked OK, no broken dough. Where did I go wrong? I'm guessing, either,

1. I should have flipped the dough the other way around, with the side revealing the purple oil dough inside, next to the filling...or,

2. I should have minimised the rolling out...but I don't like the crust to be too thick.

Is anyone going to make this? Trillium?

One more thing...I wonder if it would make any drastic change to the very light and crispy crust if some salt is added. As it is, it's really bleh.

[Ben Hong]

My first attempt at Teochew Spiral Mooncake....pls be kind.

I used this recipe but I must have done something wrong bcos it looks very different. Could I have used the wrong side of the pastry? Anyway, I don't quite like the taste of the crust...too oily, 'sides, I never liked the taste of shortening...and it's a bit tasteless. I didn't color the yam paste...che gay sik mah (eating ourselves).

Harro??? I thought some people were supposed to be making mooncakes over the weekend?

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All I can say is "you have a very lucky husband and family".

Is there any way to be adopted by you guys? As uncle-in-residence, pet-crotchety-old-man, official food taster, ????

[Tepee]

Is there any way to be adopted by you guys? As uncle-in-residence, pet-crotchety-old-man, official food taster, ????

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Sure. Get us through immigration as your adopted family and you'll get 5 for the price of one.

[Dejah]

Is there any way to be adopted by you guys? As uncle-in-residence, pet-crotchety-old-man, official food taster, ????

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Sure. Get us through immigration as your adopted family and you'll get 5 for the price of one.

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Now THAT'S what I would call a handful! or a tinful+1 of mooncakes.

[sheetz]

I received my wooden mooncake mold from wokshop.com yesterday. It appears very sturdy and should last a long time. Does it need to be seasoned before using? Some sources indicate that you should soak the molds in oil before using. The mold I received has no instructions.

[Tepee]

Yes, you have to season them. Just pour some oil over the mould and leave for 2, 3 days, then rinse and thoroughly dry.

[Tepee]

Now THAT'S what I would call ... a tinful+1 of mooncakes.

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Nah...we can all fit into 1 tin, 4 of us are real mini's.

[Tepee]

Bumping this up. Where are the mooncake makers? Anyway, here's a dragonfruit jelly mooncake we bought for charity...I'm going to make some anyway....not dragonfruit but some other combo. The mooncake looks better than it tastes. I can't place the taste...or lack of it. Found a recipe for it.

LOOK! They've posted new recipes for mooncakes hot from today's papers. Jack, look, they've pinched the mini Shanghai mooncake idea from you.

Oh dear...I've to go...in the midst of doing traditional cantonese red bean and lotus paste mooncakes. Making mixed nuts mooncake tomorrow.

Edited September 13, 2005 by Tepee (log)

[jackal10]

I think they thought of it themselves...

What do you think of their jelly mooncakes? I'm not at all sure about using jello as skin. To me jello should be served in paper cups, with cream and party hats...