Mid-Autumn Festival is coming! Having tried my hand at making snow skin mooncakes last year, I decided to try out more this year using new recipes and flavour combinations. I’m not a fan of snow skin mooncakes (still prefer my traditional baked ones with just plain red bean paste), but I love making them as the flavour-mix are endless!
To save time from shaping the bunnies and piggies this year, I bought a set of 50g moulds (4 stamps) and a set of 25g moulds (6 stamps) from eBay at USD 9.99 (about SGD 12.50). Not sure if they are cheaper than those sold in baking stores (I’d like to think so), but there are a lot more varieties to choose from on eBay. Do note that if you are buying from eBay, it will take about 3 weeks to be shipped here to Singapore!
Now for the mooncake components! There are 3 components in the mooncake: the skin, the filling and the truffle center at the ratio of 20:15:10 in grams for a 50-gram mooncake.
The truffle center is made simply by mixing a little salt, cream and Baileys into melted chocolate. The truffle mix is then chilled then divided into 10-gram pieces. I used Margaret River’s dark chocolate but any good-quality chocolate will do. You can use a mix of dark and semi-sweet or even white chocolate to show off the colour contrast against the chocolate filling (but I won’t do that because white chocolate will make the overall mooncake sweeter).
The filling is made by mixing melted dark chocolate into the lotus paste and melon seeds are added for the crunch. I’ve read from Sherlyn’s blog that by the paste is a bit dry with the addition of chocolate, so I also added a tablespoon of Baileys though the Baileys wasn’t very noticeable. I didn’t dare to add too much for fear that the paste will be too soft. I used a no-sugar lotus paste that I bought from Sunlik (a little more expensive than regular lotus paste), and I found the sweetness just right.
The snow skin is made by mixing cooked glutinous rice flour, icing sugar, cocoa powder, butter (in place of shortening), Baileys and ice cream soda together. I know I know – ice cream soda?! That was from a recipe I adapted from Aunty Yochana which many people have tried and vouched that the skin stay soft even after several days! I have made a batch of mooncakes with plain white lotus paste (follow me on Instagram @foodiebaker to see them!) and I purposely kept one to experiment and yes, even after 3 days, the skin is still quite soft! The recipe I used last last year hardened after 3 days in the fridge, so I’m glad I found a keeper!
Verdict? This was an absolutely chocolatey mooncake that so far everyone loved (except for those non-chocoholics)! The mooncakes have just the right amount of sweetness with a very slight hint of Baileys. I will try increasing the amount of Baileys the next time (which is most likely for next year’s attempt… haha!)
Here are the step-by-step photos on the mooncake making!
Step-by-Step Photos | |
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| 1) Melt chocolate and whisk in salt. | 2) Whisk in cream. |
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| 3) Whisk in Baileys. | 4) Refrigerate until firm. |
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| 5) Divide into 10-gram pieces and refrigerate till firm. | 6) Melt chocolate and mix in lotus seed paste. |
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| 7) More Baileys go in for the fun. | 8) Don't forget some melon seeds for the crunch! |
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| 9) Divide and roll into balls. | 10) Flatten and wrap a truffle inside. Chill until firm. |
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| 11) Sift the snow skin dry ingredients together | 12) Rub butter / shortening in. |
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| 13) More Baileys!! | 14) Pop a can of ice cream soda. |
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| 15) Add into the mixture. | 16) Knead into a smooth dough. |
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| 17) Wrap, wrap, wrap! | 18) Finally, stamp with your desired mould. |
Before I go into the full recipe, I’m linking this recipe to: A Bouquet of Talent #51; All My Bloggy Friends #62; See Ya in the Gumbo #98; Share it Link Party #38; Share It One More Time Party; and Thursdays Treasures #102!
Baileys Chocolate Snow Skin Mooncakes
INGREDIENTS
Truffle
- 140 grams dark chocolate, chopped
- 1 pinch salt
- 1½ tablespoons Baileys
- 1½ tablespoons heavy cream
Chocolate Lotus Filling
- 55 grams dark chocolate, chopped
- 270 grams no-sugar white lotus paste
- 1 tablespoon Baileys
- 20 grams melon seeds, toasted in a 160°C oven for 5 to 10 minutes
Skin
- 90 grams kou fen / cooked glutinous rice flour
- 40 grams icing sugar
- 5 grams cocoa powder
- 40 grams cold butter / shortening, chopped
- 50 ml Baileys, chilled
- 150 ml ice cream soda / Sprite / 7-Up, chilled
INSTRUCTIONS
Truffle
- Melt the chocolate using a double boiler or a microwave.
- Whisk in the salt, followed by Baileys and lastly cream. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm, 30-minutes to 1 hour.
- Divide into 10-gram portions, roll into small balls and refrigerate until firm, about 30-minutes to 1 hour.
Chocolate Lotus Filling
- Melt the chocolate using a double boiler or a microwave. Let cool for 5 minutes.
- Add in the lotus paste and mix well until the chocolate has been fully incorporated. Add in Baileys, followed by melon seeds. Divide into 20-gram portions and roll into balls.
- Take one ball, flatten it slightly then wrap a piece of truffle inside. Roll it into a ball again and repeat. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Snow Skin
- Sift the kou fen, icing sugar and cocoa powder into a large mixing bowl.
- Add in cold butter and rub it in with your finger tips until small lumps of butter remain. Add in Baileys and ice cream soda and mix to form a soft dough. Knead the dough in the mixing bowl until smooth.
- Divide into 20-gram portions and cover with a plastic wrap or tea towel when not in use.
Moulding
- Dust your hand with cocoa powder. Take a portion of the skin, flatten it, and wrap the filling inside. Dust your mould with more cocoa powder and place the mooncake inside. Stamp it and push it out onto a tray.
- Once all the mooncakes have been shaped, place the tray of mooncakes in the refrigerator to firm up a little, about 15 to 30 minutes, so that they don't go out of shape when transferred into boxes.
Storage
- Transfer the mooncakes into an air-tight container. Place a paper towel over the top before replacing the lid to prevent water from forming on top of the lid and dripping back onto the mooncakes. Refrigerate the mooncakes at least 6 hours or overnight before serving.
- The mooncakes can keep for up to 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator before the skin starts to dry out. The mooncakes are best served chilled with a cup of hot Chinese tea.
NOTES
- The ratio for skin : filling : truffle = 20 grams : 20 grams : 10 grams. You might still end up with a few extra truffle or filling, but those can easily disappear by popping them in your mouth!
- I strongly recommend getting a digital weighing machine when making mooncakes. The ratio is very important when you make the mooncakes, if you don’t have enough skin, you might end up tearing the mooncake skin when wrapping it.
- I find it easier to wrap the mooncakes when the filling is cold, but when the filling is cold, it wouldn’t be easy to stamp them and shape them. So what I do is I wrap all the mooncakes first, and by the time I finish wrapping, the mooncakes will be at room temperature and ready to be stamped / shaped.
- Kou fen is cooked glutinous rice flour. You can get it from bakery stores as grocery stores don’t really stock them. If you want to make your own kou fen, spread an even layer of glutinous rice flour on a baking tray. Microwave for 2 minutes on high till the flour is heated through. Alternatively, fry the flour in a non-stick frying pan until heated through. When tasted, the flour should not have any flour taste. Let cool completely before using.
- I chilled the Baileys and ice cream soda before adding into the dry ingredients because the dough is less sticky when cold. I also wore gloves when kneading the dough so that it doesn’t stick to my hands. As the dough gets warmer, it tends to stick, so do remember to dust your hands.
- Water droplets tend to form on the top of the plastic container, and when you open the lid, these water droplets may fall back onto the mooncakes, making your mooncakes wet. So placing a paper towel over the top will help prevent your mooncakes from getting wet.
- Make in Advance: Make the truffle and filling first. Wrap the truffle with the filling then place them on a tray, slightly apart from one another. Freeze for 1 to 2 hours until firm. Transfer the filling-truffle into a plastic wrap or a container and freeze for up to 2 weeks. Let them defrost in the refrigerator overnight before using them.
- Adapted from Aunty Yochana (skin), Sherlyn’s Hobbies (filling) and Diamonds for Desserts (truffle)
AR says
Hello, may I ask for the storage, can it be placed in the freezer? Thank you
Jasline N. says
Hi AR, I have not tried freezing these mooncakes before, though I have read on other websites that it’s possible. I’ll have to give this a try before updating the recipe. If you managed to successfully freeze them, please let me know!
angeline oh says
Hi, what type of butter did you use? salted or unsalted? For the filling, can i omit the lotus paste and all dark chocolate instead?
Thank you.
Jasline N. says
Hi Angeline, I used unsalted butter. Do you mean use dark truffle as the filling? If you use all dark truffle, the texture will be different. I’ve not tried making it this way so I’m not sure how it will turn out.
Lydia says
I am at NO age to have alcohol, can the Bailey’s be replaced with cream? What would you recommend as an alcohol-free substitute?
Jasline N. says
Dear Lydia, sorry for the late reply as I’m currently away on holiday. For the truffle and filling, you can substitute the baileys with cream. For the skin, omit the baileys and top it up with the sprite/ice cream soda.
Dina says
they look yummy. i saw mooncakes in chinatown and want to try them!
AdriBarr says
These are beautiful!
Jasline N. says
Thank you very much for the compliment, you are too sweet!
lena says
i can tell that you are a bailey girl! very chocolatey indeed, you even add choc to the lotus paste..they look really wonderful and thx for the ice cream soda drink tip, i will remember that when i want to make those snow skin ones..not this year tho 🙂
Jasline N. says
Hi Lena! Haha yes I love Bailey baked goods though I’m not a super fan if you ask me to drink it on its own, weird right! Haha. I hope to try out more snow skin next year also, no time to try out more this year!
Jamie @ Love Bakes Good Cakes says
What a great recipe! Thanks so much for linking up to All My Bloggy Friends! I hope you’ll join us again – the new party starts on Tuesday at 7 am Eastern time!
Jasline N. says
Hi Jamie, thank you for hosting! I’ll definitely try to join the new party!
Christie Daruwalla says
These are gorgeous. I love the filling and addition of Bailey’s. Thanks for sharing on Thursdays Treasures. These will be a feature.
Jasline N. says
Hi Christie, thank you so much for the feature, you made my day 🙂
Nami | Just One Cookbook says
It’s already the mooncake season! Time flies! Wow your moooncakes are gorgeous and I love the chocolate flavor!
Jasline N. says
Hi Nami, yes time really does fly by, I felt I haven’t bake/cook a lot of stuff! Thank you for the compliment!
Tammy Henderson says
Hi.. Stopping by to let you know you have been featured over a One More Time Events….Thank you for sharing! Would love it if you would join this weeks party http://www.onemoretimeevents.com/2013/09/warming-up-your-home-for-winter-and.html .. Xo Tammy
Jasline N. says
Hi Tammy, thank you so much for the feature! I would love to join this week’s party, thank you for your invite!
~~louise~~ says
Hi Jasline!
Your mooncakes look like gorgeous pouches of goodness. I would really like to try making them one day. Your step by step and of course that chocolate goodness, may just be the nudge I needed.
Thank you so much for sharing…
Jasline N. says
Hi Louise, I hope the step-by-step photos will help and motivate you to make these mooncakes! If you do make them, do let me know!
Guru Uru says
These cakes are so beautiful my friend 😀
Chocolatey and delicate!
Cheers
CCU
Jasline N. says
Thank you so much my friend! Have a great week ahead!
kitchen flavours says
Hi Jasline,
Your mooncake looks fabulous! I am not a fan of soft-skinned mooncakes or even the baked ones, but interesting to see the different varieties. I have not made any mooncakes for decades ever since someone borrowed my wooden mould and never did returned it back! Back then, there are limited varieties of moulds and the wooden ones are quite costly, now it is much cheaper. My kids love mooncakes, and they would certainly like your chocolate ones! Great job!
Jasline N. says
Hi Joyce! Thank you! I love eating baked mooncakes (without egg yolks). Snow skin is not something I like to eat but I like making them because of the many possible flavour combinations 😉 I’ve always wanted to get a wooden mould but they are really very expensive! eBay sells much affordable plastic moulds, and they have lots of designs to choose from, I’m sure your kids will love to make the mooncakes with you!
Bam's Kitchen says
Happy Mid Autumn Festival! If you are going to eat moon cakes, this is a perfect celebration of flavors for this time of the year. No double egg yolk and lotus paste ones for me please.. LOL I love your moulds, so pretty. I think with all of the beautiful ones ones available, especially the snowy skins, around in HK this time of the year I will see if they have any new flavors. Will your family be coming to visit you? Any plans? Have a super weekend. BAM
Jasline N. says
Hi Bobbi! Thank you! Haha I don’t like egg yolks too! But I do love the traditional ones with lotus paste or red bean paste. I’m sure there are a lot of vendors selling mooncakes right now in Hong Kong. In Singapore, there are mooncake bazaars everywhere! Do let me know what mooncake flavours intrigued you, maybe we can explore it and bake together virtually 😉 My family’s here in Singapore with me, so we are going to be eating mooncakes together while watching TV or something, haha! Have a great weekend too!
yummychunklet says
Such pretty cakes! I bet they tasted divine!
Jasline N. says
Thank you so much! They are very chocolatey!
michelle says
Hi, Jasline. Thank you for linking this week. These mooncakes are bursting with chocolate…and I do love chocolate. The patterns on your cakes are so intricate and beautiful!
Jasline N. says
Hi Michelle, thank you for hosting! The mould did all the work on the pattern.. hee hee!
May Law says
这是个很特别口味的月饼哦！
Jasline N. says
Hi May, 谢谢你哦！ 🙂
Ashley @ Quarter Life (Crisis) Cuisine says
Woah, this looks so involved but SO delicious, and the cakes come out gorgeous!
Jasline N. says
Hi Ashley, yes quite a bit of steps involved, but definitely worth the effort. Thank you for the compliment! 🙂
Juliana says
Wow Jasline, I love the idea of truffle inside these mooncakes…and yes I love the glutinous layer.
Hope you are having a fun week 😀
Jasline N. says
Hi Juliana, the truffle makes the mooncake more chocolatey, great if you are a chocolate lover! I hope you have a great week too!
Liz Berg says
I’m in awe ever ytime I see beautiful moon cakes! Yours are no exception…lovely!
Jasline N. says
Hi Liz, thank you so much for the compliment! 🙂