Snow Skin Mooncakes with Red Bean Paste

Snow Skin Mooncakes with Red Bean Paste, another variety of a Chinese traditional sweet treat that is typically eaten on Mid Autumn Festival.

Snow Skin Mooncakes with Red Bean Paste is another one of the many variations of mooncakes that we eat during Mid Autumn Festival. It falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, which is October 4 2017 this year and that happens to be tomorrow.

I had previously shared a variation of this recipe, Snow Skin Mooncakes with Mung Bean Paste and shared a little about this unique traditional dessert snack from Singapore. Click on the link above to find out more. This time, I made a red bean paste for the filling  instead and played around with the food coloring a little. I did not use yellow the last time so I included it this time. And I also mixed pink and blue to achieve a lavender color.

This recipe is similar to the one with mung bean paste but because red beans take a longer time to cook, the time required for this recipe would be a little longer. And I doubled the amount of snow skin wraps as I was not sure if the previous recipe would have enough for the amount of red bean paste that I would have. I had a little bit of snow skin wraps left and I saved it in the freezer for my next batch.

Bella and Jamie loved it and when I asked them if they have a preference for either the mung bean paste or red bean paste, they could not pick. They liked them both. So on a festive note, I wish you and your family a Happy Mid Autumn Festival! May you have a long life to share the graceful moonlight!

Snow Skin Mooncakes with Red Bean Paste
by Miss Crumbs A Lot, adapted from FOOD52 & Christine's Recipes

Recipe
Snow Skin Wrap Ingredients
90g (3.2oz) Glutinous  Rice Flour
70g (2.4oz) Rice Flour (water milled)
40g (1.6oz) Wheat Starch
80g (3oz) Sugar
360ml (12 fl oz) Unsweetened Coconut Milk
36ml (1.2 fl oz) Vegetable Oil
1/2 cup Glutinous Rice Flour (for dusting)

Red Bean Paste Filling Ingredients
1 cup Dry Red Beans or Azuki Beans (soaked in water overnight)
2/3 cups Sugar
6 tbsp Shortening

Equipment
1 50g size Mooncake Mold

Snow Skin Wrap Cooking Method
1. In a bowl, mix 90g (3.2oz) of glutinous rice flour with 70g (2.4oz) rice flour and 40g (1.6oz) wheat starch together.
2. In another bowl, dissolve 80g (3oz) sugar in 360ml (12 fl oz) unsweetened coconut milk. Then mix in 36ml (1.2 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.

Red Bean Paste Filling Cooking Method
1. Drain the soaked red beans and place them in a pot. Add in 3 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium/low and simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes. As the water boils down, right around 30 minutes onwards, you will need to add just enough water to keep the beans submerged in water.
2. After about an hour, to ensure that the beans are ready, pinch a bean between your fingers. It should mash very easily between your fingers.
3. Once done, turn off heat, drain the beans and allow it to cool slightly. Blend the beans in a food processor until a smooth paste is formed (hummus like)
4. Pour the red bean paste into a non-stick wok or pan, add in 2/3 cup sugar and 6 tbsp of shortening. Over medium heat, mix all the ingredients together. As the sugar dissolves and shortening gets mixed it, the paste will be watery. Continue cooking, stirring constantly until the moisture has evaporated and a soft dough is formed. Once the paste can hold its shape, it is ready.
5. Remove from heat and refrigerate until ready to use.

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 red 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 16 50g Mooncakes
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