Snow Skin Mooncakes with Mung Bean Paste

Snow Skin Mooncakes with Mung Bean Paste, one of the many variations of a Chinese traditional sweet treat that is typically eaten during Mid-Autumn Festival.

Snow Skin Mooncakes with Mung Bean Paste is one of the many variations of mooncakes, a Chinese traditional sweet treat that is consumed during Mid Autumn Festival. The Mid Autumn Festival is a harvest festival celebrated by ethnic Chinese people. It is held on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month with a full moon at night, corresponding to a late September or early October date. This year, it falls on October 4, 2017.

Making and sharing mooncakes is one of the hallmark traditions of this festival. In the Chinese culture, a round shape symbolizes reunion and completeness. Hence, eating and sharing mooncakes with family during the week of the festival signifies the unity and completeness of families. In Singapore, about a month before the actual festival, bakeries, hotels and restaurants will start selling wide varities of mooncakes. They often come in beautiful boxes as it was a common practice to give them as gifts to family and friends. 

Apart from the traditional baked round mooncake that is typically filled with lotus seed paste or red bean paste, there are also many variations in Singapore; from ice cream filled to flaky pastries. Snow skin mooncakes originated in Hong Kong and are similar to Japanese mochi ice cream with a glutinous rice wrap and does not require baking. It is also eaten cold. The name snow skin mooncake refers to the original cake's white translucent appearance, like snow and because it is consumed cold. Hence, the name snow skin. It is also very common now to add food coloring to the glutinous rice wrap, giving it a colorful appearance.

I made these petite versions last weekend to take to a friend's home where we were invited to dinner. Everyone enjoyed it. And both Bella and Jamie absolutely loved it. I was wrapping the mooncakes and I had not even finished making them yet, I was flanked by the both them with sneaky hands trying to reach for the mooncakes and them constantly asking, " Can I try some? Can I try some?" Well, I am glad I did not disappoint them. The first batch of 14 petite mooncakes were all gone that day. I will definitely be making more again.
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I recommend measuring the ingredients with a digital weight scale for food and preparing the wrap a day in advance then the filling and assembly the next day. All ingredients can be found at your local Asian supermarket.

Snow Skin Mooncakes with Mung Bean Paste
by Miss Crumbs A Lot, adapted from China Sichuan Food & Christine's Recipes

Recipe
Snow Skin Wrap Ingredients
45g (1.6oz) Glutinous  Rice Flour
35g (1.2oz) Rice Flour (water milled)
20g (0.8oz) Wheat Starch
40g (1.5oz) Sugar
180ml (6 fl oz) Unsweetened Coconut Milk
18ml (0.6 fl oz) Vegetable Oil
1/2 cup Glutinous Rice Flour (for dusting)

Mung Bean Paste Filling Ingredients
200g (7oz) Peeled Split Mung Beans (rinsed and soaked for 4 hours or overnight)
100g (3.5oz) Sugar
80ml (2.75 fl oz) Unsweetened Coconut Milk
70ml (2.4 fl oz) Vegetable Oil
1/8 tsp Salt
1 1/2 tbsp Wheat Starch
5 stalk Pandan Leaves (Screwpine Leaves) (knotted)

Equipment
1 50g size Mooncake Mold

Snow Skin Wrap Cooking Method
1. In a bowl, mix 45g (1.6oz) of glutinous rice flour with 35g (1.2oz) rice flour and 20g (0.8oz) wheat starch together.
2. In another bowl, dissolve 40g (1.5oz) sugar in 180ml (6 fl oz) unsweetened coconut milk. Then mix in 18ml (0.6 fl oz) of vegetable oil.
3. Slowly pour the coconut milk mixture into the flour mixture while whisking it gently. Mix well. Strain it once and set it aside, allowing it to rest for 30 minutes.
4. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and steam cook it over high heat for 30 minutes.
5. Once ready, remove from heat and use a pair of chopsticks or fork to stir the mixture until a soft and smooth dough is formed.
6. Once cooled, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and knead it with your hands for a few minutes. It is imperative to knead it to ensure that the wrap will be soft and smooth.
7. Refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours before assembling the mooncake.

Mung Bean Paste Cooking Method
​​1. Drain soaked mung beans and place them in a shallow dish. Pour boiling water just enough to cover the mung beans. (The water will be absorbed by the mung beans as it cooks) Place knotted pandan leaves on top. Steam cook on high heat for 30 minutes.
2. Remove from heat. The mung beans should be soft and easily mashed by your fingers. Remove and discard pandan leaves.
3. Place cooked mung beans in a food processor and blend it till a smooth paste is formed.
4. Transfer mung bean paste into a non stick wok or pan. Add 100g (3.5oz) sugar, 80ml (2.75 fl oz) unsweetened coconut milk, 70ml (2.4 fl oz) vegetable oil and 1/8 tsp salt. Mix well.
5. Cook on medium heat until the moisture is reduced by 2/3 and it is back to the smooth paste form, stirring constantly. This takes about 20 to 25 minutes.
6. Reduce heat to low and add in 1 1/2 tbsp sieved wheat starch in small batches and continue mixing it in. 
7. Continue stirring and simmering until it thickens for about 20 minutes. At this point, it should be in a soft dough form, easily pulled away from the wok and able to hold a molded shape.
8. Transfer to a plate to cool. You may wrap the mung bean paste in plastic wrap refrigerate it if you are making this in advance.

Assembly Method
1. Toast 1/2 cup of glutinous rice flour in a non-stick wok or pan over medium heat until it turns light yellow. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
2. Measure each snow skin wrap and mung bean paste to around 20g and 30g respectively. Shape them into balls and set aside.
3. Dust your hands, counter top and mooncake mold with toasted glutinous rice flour.
4. Wrap each mung bean paste ball with snow skin wrap and seal completely. Shape it into a ball first then gently mold it into an oval.
5. Place the oval into the mooncake mold, place it on the counter top and gently push the shaping tool to shape the mooncake into the mold. Remove from mold gently.

Makes 14 pieces