Description
Snow Skin Mooncakes are a delightful Chinese dessert traditionally enjoyed during the Mid-Autumn Festival. These no-bake mooncakes feature a soft, chewy, and slightly sweet glutinous rice-based skin filled with rich lotus seed or red bean paste. The dough is steamed to achieve its characteristic texture and chilled before molding into intricate shapes. Perfect for those who prefer a lighter alternative to baked mooncakes, this recipe offers a refreshing treat that’s both visually appealing and delicious.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Dough:
- 1/2 cup glutinous rice flour
- 1/4 cup rice flour
- 1/4 cup wheat starch or cornstarch
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
For the Filling:
- 1 cup lotus seed paste or red bean paste
- Optional chopped nuts or dried fruit
For Dusting:
- Cooked glutinous rice flour (kao fen), for dusting molds and surface
Instructions
- Mix the Dough Ingredients: In a heatproof mixing bowl, whisk together the glutinous rice flour, rice flour, wheat starch, powdered sugar, milk, sweetened condensed milk, and vegetable oil until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps.
- Steam the Dough: Place the mixture in a steamer and steam over medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes. Stir once halfway through to ensure even cooking. The dough should thicken and become cooked through.
- Cool and Knead the Dough: Allow the steamed dough to cool slightly until it is warm to the touch but not hot. Then knead it until it becomes smooth and stretchy, indicating elasticity in the dough. Cover the dough and chill it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Prepare the Filling: While the dough chills, divide your chosen filling (lotus seed paste or red bean paste) into small balls, approximately 25 grams each. You may add chopped nuts or dried fruit if desired.
- Assemble Mooncakes: Divide the chilled dough into equal portions weighing about 30 grams each. Flatten each portion into a disc, place a filling ball in the center, and carefully wrap the dough around it, sealing the edges completely. Roll gently to form a smooth ball.
- Shape the Mooncakes: Lightly dust a mooncake mold and your working surface with cooked glutinous rice flour (kao fen) to prevent sticking. Press each ball into the mold and gently press down to imprint the traditional design. Carefully unmold each mooncake.
- Store and Serve: Place finished mooncakes in an airtight container and refrigerate. They will keep fresh for up to 5 days. Before serving, allow the mooncakes to come to room temperature for the best texture and flavor.
Notes
- Kao fen, or cooked glutinous rice flour, is essential for dusting the molds and surfaces to prevent the dough from sticking; do not substitute with raw flour.
- To add natural colors to the dough, incorporate powders such as matcha, cocoa, or fruit powders during the mixing stage.
- If wheat starch is not preferred, cornstarch can be used as an alternative.
- These mooncakes are traditionally served chilled but warm slightly to enjoy the best texture.
