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Mooncakes always bring a special kind of joy and nostalgia, particularly during the Mid-Autumn Festival. During this season, shopping malls will be decorated with ornaments and displays inspired by the Chinese enchanting legends of the Chang’e, the moon goddess, and her loyal companion, the jade rabbit. According to folklore, Chang’e lives on the moon after drinking an elixir of immortality. Mooncakes, as the name implies, are made and enjoyed during this season.
What is snow skin mooncake
Unlike the traditional baked mooncakes, snow skin mooncakes feature a soft and chewy mochi-like skin made primarily from glutinous rice flour. It is best enjoyed chilled rather than warm. This lighter texture type of mooncakes are my favourite as it’s less dense than the usual mooncakes, and you can be creative in the flavours.
This Osmanthus Snow Skin Mooncake with homemade Lotus Seed Paste and Yuzu Filling has a refreshing flavour intensified by the yuzu honey filling. A sharp contrast from the subtle floral aroma of osmanthus in the snow skin, and blends beautifully with the mild sweetness of my homemade lotus seed paste.
If you love a variety of different flavours of snow skin mooncakes, be sure to check out my Ferrero Rocher Chocolate Snow Skin Mooncake or Snow Skin Mooncake made of Taro & Purple Sweet Potato filling. Or the healthier version, this Low GI Mooncake with White Bean Paste.
Fillings for mooncakes
Filling for mooncakes are a plenty of varieties these days. Apart from the traditional lotus seed paste, which I find is very sticky and choke full of sugar, fillings like red bean paste (check out my 30-minute recipe), homemade lotus seed paste (made in 30 minutes), taro and purple sweet potato paste, White Bean Paste (ShiroAn) which can be made in 15 minutes, matcha green tea flavoured paste are all popular versions. Making pastes from scratch might need a bit of time but it’s worth it, in my opinion, as you get to control the sugar alternative and the sweetness level.
Different types of mooncakes
Chinese people from different provinces in China as well as overseas Chineses have traditionally made their own versions of mooncakes, be it the traditional classic Cantonese mooncakes, Teochew yam-filled mooncakes, the modern snow skin mooncakes that might come in different fancy colours and flavours, Shanghai mooncakes, or even jelly mooncakes (check out this Osmanthus Goji Jelly Mooncake 桂花枸杞菜燕中秋月饼 and Mango Coconut Jelly Mooncake 芒果椰奶菜燕月饼) and much more! Each offers a unique taste and texture that reflects its cultural origins. Regardless of the different shapes and flavours, mooncakes symbolises reunion and harmony, traditionally enjoyed on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, when the moon is particularly full and luminous.
How to store snow skin mooncake
Be sure to store the mooncakes in an airtight container and chilled in the fridge. Snow skin when made fresh is soft and tender. This type of mooncake is best when you enjoy it chilled. It’ll turn bad and hard after 2 to 3 days. cold.
If you intend to keep it longer, you can store it in the freezer in an air tight container. Wrap the mooncakes with a paper towel to absorb excess, and thaw it in room temperature for a few hours before enjoying it.
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Osmanthus Snow Skin Mooncake with Lotus Seed Paste and Yuzu filling
Detailed Step-by-Step Video
Ingredients
Filling
- 220 g lotus seed paste, homemade or storebought
- 3-4 tbsp yuzu honey
Snow skin
- 120 ml full cream milk, room temperature, I used lactose-free milk
- 20 g stevia sweetener
- 1.5 tbsp vegetable oil, neutral flavour
- 30 g glutinous rice flour
- 30 g rice flour
- 15 g wheat flour
- 2 tsp osmanthus tea leaves
- ¼ tsp beetroot food colouring powder, or any food colouring powder
Others
- 1-2 tbsp corn starch, to dust mould and the snowskin mooncake
Instructions
Prepare the snow skin dough
- Simmer 120 ml full cream milk over low heat until almost boiling. Turn off heat. Add 2 tsp osmanthus tea leaves to the milk and infuse for 15 minutes.
- Drain off the tea leaves. Let the milk cool down completely.
- Mix all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl – 30 g glutinous rice flour, 30 g rice flour, 15 g wheat flour, 20 g stevia sweetener.
- Add milk and 1.5 tbsp vegetable oil and mix well.
- Sieve the mixture into a heat proof dish.
- Steam the mixture over medium-low heat until dough is formed, this takes about 20 minutes.Note: it is normal if you see some oil oil floating on top of the steamed snow skin dough.
- After steaming, let the snow skin dough cool down to warm temperature. Use a spatula to separate the dough into big portions.
- Knead the snow skin dough until it turns smooth and soft. It will easily form a shape when you press it. If the snow skin dough is still sticky, add more oil and knead until well-incorporated. Texture will be very consistent and smooth.
- Divide the snow skin dough by half.
- Add 1/4 tsp beetroot food colouring powder to one half of the dough, and knead until it is evenly coloured.
- Divide the two snow skin doughs into 12g of natural and pink colour each.
- Roll the two coloured snow skin doughs into a ball. Note: Each dough ball will weigh about 24g.
- Store the snow skin dough balls in an airtight container, and chill in the fridge for few hours or overnight. Note: The snow skin dough should not be sticky.
Prepare the filling
- Divide 220 g lotus seed paste into 27-30g each. Roll into balls.Note: I used my homemade lotus seed paste.
- Make a dent in the lotus seed paste balls. Scoop about 3g of the yuzu honey into the lotus seed paste. We should need a total of about 3-4 tbsp yuzu honey
- Seal and roll the paste into balls.
- Store the paste into an airtight container. Chill in the freezer for at least an hour.
Assemble the mooncake
- Take the snow skin and lotus seed paste out from the fridge.Flatten the snow skin, making sure the edges are thinner than the centre part.
- Wrap the snow skin around the lotus seed paste filling. Seal the skin well.
- Dust some corn starch lightly on the snow skin. Note: we should need about 1-2 tbsp corn starch .
- Dust some corn starch lightly on the mould. Note: we should need about 1-2 tbsp corn starch .
- Insert the snow skin mooncake into the mould, seal side facing out.
- Press the mould couple of times to form the shape.
- Enjoy the mooncakes.Freshly made moon cakes can be served after chilling for 1-2 hours.
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