Gauss-Telegraph: Recipe of the month – Vegan Mooncake

Gauss-Telegraph: Recipe of the month – Vegan Mooncake

Ingredients moon cake filling

  • -2 cup (280 gram) raw black sesame seeds
  • 2/3 cup (90 gram) confectionary sugar
  • 1/2 cup (110 gram) unsalted plant based margarine
  • 1/2 cup (80 gram) sticky rice flour

Ingredients moon cake dough

  • 56 gram of homemade golden syrup (or bought)
  • 1/2 teaspoon homemade kansui (or bought)
  • 20 gram of peanut oil (or vegetable oil that does not have a strong taste)
  • 100 gram of cake flour and extra to dust the moon cake dough

Preparation moon cake filling

The black sesame seeds are turned in a large pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until a very strong nutty aroma is in the air and the seeds begin to fry. After the sesame seeds have cooled down, they are crushed in a food processor until oil forms and a thickened mass is obtained. This can take 2-3 minutes. In between, scrape the paste from the blender wall so that everything is processed smoothly. At the end, let it stir for another minute. Now add the sugar and the margarine and mix everything well again.

Put the mixture into a bowl, add the rice flour and knead until you have a firm dough. If the dough is too thin, just add more rice flour. Divide the sesame paste into 10 parts, about 3 tablespoons (40-60g) per serving. Form each portion into a small ball. Smooth each ball with your hands. If you are using a moon cake mould, the ball should be smaller so the mould should be smaller. Place the balls in the refrigerator to cool until the balls harden.

Preparation Moon cake dough

Mix the golden syrup and Kansui in a large bowl until emulsified. Add peanut oil and mix evenly. The ingredients may not blend very well, but try to mix them as evenly as possible. Now sieve the cake flour into the bowl. Now knead the dough from bottom to top. Do not stir in a circle! When the flour is completely kneaded, form the dough into a ball. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky, but still keep its shape. If the dough is too thin, add more flour. Knead the dough again several times with a folding motion. Wrap the dough well in cling film and let it rest for 30 minutes. Then knead again, wrap it in cling film again and let it rest for another 30 minutes.

Composition

Take the two teaspoons of dough and put it between two pieces of baking paper. Press the dough to a round disc flattened. Make sure that the middle is slightly thinner than the edges. Place a black sesame ball in the middle of the dough. Then carefully wrap the dough around the filling. Try to wrap the dough evenly around the ball. If the dough is too thick in some places, you can peel off some of the dough and then smooth the surface again. If the color of the filling shines through, it is also fine. Dust your hands and the dough with cake flour. Additionally, roll the ball in your hands to dust the surfaces evenly. For an authentic look, you can also use a moon cake mould.

Baking the moon cake

Preheat oven to 360°F (180°C). Place the moon cakes about 2cm apart on a large metal tray. Spray a thin layer of water on the moon cakes to prevent the dough from breaking. Place the tray on the middle shelf and bake for 8-9 minutes until the dough is baked out and the edges of the moon cake are golden brown. Take the moon cakes out of the oven. Spread a bit of liquid margarine over the moon cakes, but only on the upper surface! Put the moon cakes back in the oven and bake them for another eight minutes until they are golden brown. Let the moon cakes cool down on the baking tray first. Then carefully remove the moon cakes from the tray with a spatula and let them cool down completely. You can store the moon cakes in an airtight container and ideally serve after 1-3 days.