These mooncakes originate from Teochew (潮州), China. The Teochews favour yam or taro, and make wonderful desserts and dishes from this root. The filing is very similar to their Or nee （芋泥）that many in Asia are familiar with.
Like many Asian filings, these are done by simply steaming the root, mash it and then caramelizing sugar into the mash. Fat (often pork lard) is added. Alternatively, we can use shallots fried in vegetable oil to get this umami flavour into the dessert.
I have made mine bite size this time, because I found cutting the mooncake somewhat too untidy, with flakes all over the place. It tastes simply wonderful!
Yam Mooncake
Ingredients
Pastry
Water Dough
- 250 g Plain Flour
- 120 g Water
- 65 g Fat Vegetable shortening is the best
- 1 Tbsp Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Salt
Oil Dough
- 180 g Cake Flour or low protein flour
- 45 g Fat Butter gives the best fragrance
- 45 g Oil Any cooking oil
Filing
- 300 g Yam peeled, cubed, steamed and then mashed
- 100 g Sugar I use raw sugar
- 50 g Oil
- 1 Big Onion or 15 shallots skined and sliced
- A pinch of salt
- Cooked Salted Duck Egg Yolk steamed or baked
Instructions
Make the filling
- Heat a pan with the oil and fry the onions until light brown. Remove the oil and onions and set aside.
- Using the same pan and medium heat, add the mashed yam and sugar, until sugar melts.
- Add the oil and onion and mix well, until it forms into a dough.
Make oil dough
- Put everything into a blender for 1 to 2 minutes, or until it comes to a dough.
Make the water dough
- Put everything into a blender for 1 to 2 minutes until it comes to a dough.
Shape the mooncakes
- Divide the oil dough and the water dough into 15 equal portions each, the filing into 30 equal portions.
- Place each oil dough within each water dough and seal.
- Roll out the dough to a long oval, to about 3 mm.
- Roll it up from the short end like a swiss roll.
- Roll out the dough again to a long oval to about 2mm.
- Roll it into a swiss roll. Do the same for the rest of the 14 pieces. Rest for 15 minutes.
- Cut the roll into 2, revealing the spiral.
- Press the roll down using the palm, cut side up.
- Wrap each portion of filing into each dough.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 220°C. Do not egg wash or you will destroy the spiral pattern.
Here’s a video of how I did my flaky mooncakes. Hope it helps you get yours done!
