Author Notes
This is a nontraditional mooncake, which traditionally would use fillings such as red bean paste or even durian to celebrate the harvest moon, the fullest and the roundest of the year. I am adapting a mooncake recipe by Nina Simonds by adding buttermilk powder, white whole wheat flour and creating my own filling. One giant one I made today with some other smaller ones. If you want silkier batter rather than this earthier dough, you should use cake flour. I like to call mine pies. —Sagegreen
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Ingredients
- Ginger peach date preserve
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3
peaches, peeled and chopped
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9
dates, pitted and chopped (Medjool)
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1/8
cup of organic cane sugar, to taste
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1/4
cup of sake or other liquid
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1-2 tsp. of peeled grated ginger, to taste
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1/2 tsp. lemon zest
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tiny pinch of kosher salt
- The moon pies
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2
cups of white whole wheat flour or all purpose flour
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3/8
cup of buttermilk powder (or regular milk powder)
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1/2
tbl. of baking powder
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1/2 tsp. kosher salt
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2 medium eggs
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5/8 cup of organic cane sugar
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3/8
cup of unsalted butter, softened
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1/2 tsp. almond extract (or vanilla)
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3/4 cup of ginger peach date preserve
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1/2 cup of cooked skinned yam or sweet potato
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1/8 cup of light brown sugar, to taste
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1/8
cup of chopped almonds, optional
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1 medium egg, beaten and mixed with 2 tbl. of water
Directions
- Ginger peach date preserve
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Bring the ingredients together in a nonreactive saucepan. Simmer until the fruits soften and the mixture thickens (@ 10 minutes). You will need less than 1 cup for the recipe. Any leftovers can be used as a regular preserve.
- The moon pies
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Sift the flour, dried milk powder, and salt together. Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl; add the sugar. Beat vigorously, about 5 minutes. Add the butter, almond or vanilla extract, and the sifted, dry ingredients to the egg mixture, folding after each addition. Mix to a rough dough, turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth. Divide the dough into 10 portions.
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Mix the preserve with the yam and brown sugar. Add the almonds if you want.
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Preheat the oven to 375. Roll or press each portion of dough into about a 5-6 inch circle. Spoon about 2 tbl. of the filling in the center. Pinch the dough together to seal and shape into a ball. Then flatten on the bottom to create about a 2 1/2 -3 inch dome shape. Make a few slashes in a decorative pattern on the top or an X (I forgot). Place on a sheet of parchment on a baking dish. Finish the others the same way. Brush on some egg wash and bake for about 30 minutes until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
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If you have a mooncake press, after shaping, chill overnight, then brush with egg and bake as above.
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