Baked mooncakes

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Stir 120 g invert sugar syrup with 3 g alkaline water and 45 g vegetable oil, then sift in 170 g all-purpose flour and fold with a flat spatula until no dry flour remains. The alkaline water neutralizes the acidity of the syrup, helping the crust brown beautifully and stay soft. The dough is ready when it is soft, slightly sticky and a light molasses brown.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature for about two hours. The rest lets the dough absorb the syrup evenly, so the crust is pliable and will not crack when you wrap the filling. It is ready when it feels as soft as clay and no longer sticks to your hands.

   Suggested time: about 120 minutes.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Arrange 120 g salted egg yolks on a parchment-lined tray and bake at 170°C for about 6 to 8 minutes. A quick bake firms up the surface of the yolks, tames their eggy smell and keeps them from leaking oil into the filling. The yolks are ready when they look slightly shiny, feel firm to the touch and have a small ring of oil around the base.

   Bake at 170°C for about 6 to 8 minutes.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Divide 720 g sweet lotus seed paste into eight equal portions, flatten each one, place a yolk in the center and roll it up into a sealed ball. Weighing each portion ensures the cakes fit the mold snugly without overflowing the edges or leaving gaps in the corners. The filling balls are right when they are perfectly round and smooth with no yolk showing.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Divide the crust dough into eight portions, flatten each one in your palm, set a filling ball on top and use your thumb to gently push the dough so it slides up gradually and encloses the filling. Pushing the dough rather than pulling it keeps it evenly thin all over. Each cake is right when the crust covers the filling completely with no holes and the ball is as round as an egg.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Roll each ball in a thin layer of to taste all-purpose flour, brush off the excess, place it in a mooncake mold, turn the mold over onto the tray, press down firmly once and lift the mold away. The flour coating lets the cake release from the mold while keeping the pattern crisp. The cakes are right when they stand straight with square edges and every line of the pattern shows clearly.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Mist the tops of the cakes lightly with water, then bake at 200°C for about 8 to 10 minutes to set the crust. The water dissolves any leftover dusting flour so the tops are not speckled with white. They are ready when the crust has set and the raised pattern is turning slightly golden.

   Bake at 200°C for about 8 to 10 minutes.

   Mark step 7 as done

8. Step 8

   Take the cakes out and let them cool for about ten minutes, then beat 20 g egg yolks with 5 g water and brush a very thin layer over the tops. Brushing once the cakes have cooled slightly keeps the yolk from pooling in the grooves and blurring the pattern. The wash is right when the tops are slightly glossy and the grooves of the pattern are still clean.

   Mark step 8 as done

9. Step 9

   Return the cakes to the oven at 180°C and bake for about 10 to 12 minutes more, rotating the tray halfway through for even color. This bake cooks the crust through and gives it its signature chestnut color. They are done when the tops are deep golden brown and the sides are pale golden and bulge slightly.

   Bake at 180°C for about 10 to 12 minutes.

   Mark step 9 as done

10. Step 10

    Let the cakes cool completely on a rack, then put them in an airtight container or a bag with a desiccant packet and leave them at room temperature for about a day. During this time oil from the filling seeps back into the crust, which mooncake makers call letting the oil return. They are ready when the crust is soft, lightly glossy and no longer dry or hard.

    Suggested time: about 1,440 minutes.

    Mark step 10 as done