Red Bean Moon Cake with Flaky Pastry (紅豆螺絲酥皮月餅)

Last week I went to school to help out the hospitality students to understand cultural diversity.  Six of the parents participate all came from different background including Thai, Indian, German, South African, Italian and Chinese.  One of the thing we were taking about was the festival celebration, and I mentioned that lots of Chinese dessert for celebration was round as the roundness mean smooth and harmony.  The Chinese Moon Festival is coming up on 30 September and I got the idea making this flaky pastry mooncake from my mother-in-law when she posted her taro mooncake on FB.

I always have difficulty in making the swirl looking flaky pastry and I got the step-by-step instruction from Cherri, ch3rri blossoms.  I use canola oil instead of shortening as it is a healthier oil and I baked it instead of deep fry.  The other popular flavour for the mooncake include taro, green tea and lotus.  Moon cake usually has an salted duck egg yolk inside the filling, I have opted that out as I prefer it eggless.

The Moon Festival is the second biggest festival besides the Chinese New Year.  People give mooncake as a gift and everyone gather together for a family dinner on a full moon night.  A true happiness for me is to enjoy the time with my family, just as simple as that.



Red Bean Moon Cake with Flaky Pastry
(make 16)

Ingredients:

Filling:
red bean paste (store brought)

Water dough:
200g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
50g canola oil
30g sugar
100g water

Oil dough:
180ml plain flour
100g canola oil

Method:

1. Roll the red bean paste into 16 golf ball sized balls.
2. For the water dough; mix all together to form a dough, rest 20 minutes.  Then divide into 4 equal portions.
3. For the oil dough; mix all together to form a soft dough, divide into 4 equal portions.
4. Flatten the water dough and place the oil dough into the middle and wrap around it.  Do not flour the bench as the dough is oily enough and will not stick to the table.
5. Roll out the dough into a long shape, fold half from the short side, then fold over to the right.  Roll out one more time.
6. Then roll into a swiss roll from the long side, cut into 4 pieces.
7. Roll each piece flat into a round shape, about the size of the dumping pastry.  Place a piece of red bean paste into the middle, wrap around to form a ball and seal the bottom.  Repeat for the rest of the dough.
8. Preheat oven at 170c. Place the mooncake sealed size down onto the paper lined baking tray(s), bake 25 mins or until brown.

Source: http://ch3rri-blossoms.blogspot.com.au/2009/12/flaky-taro-pastry.html

water dough and oil dough

Flatten water dough and oil dough on top

Oil dough wrapped inide of the water dough

1st time roll out 

roll half from long side

roll half to the right

2nd time roll out

cut into 4 pieces

Roll flat and fill with filling

ready to bake! 

Honey, Peanut Butter & Tomato Drumsticks

This Sunday is Father's Day for the Australian.  Chicken is the most popular meat and my husband will not sick of having chicken everyday.  This chicken drumstick would be a great dish to give the male a treat!  The original recipe use tahini (sesame paste) but I replace that with peanut butter and sprinkle the sesame seeds over the roasted chicken instead of baked with it coated.  After all these modification, I could't think of a name to it but I love this Asian kind of twisted dish!

Have a happy Father's Day!

Honey, Peanut Butter & Tomato Drumsticks

6 Chicken Drumsticks
1 heap tablespoon peanut butter
1 heap tablespoon tomato paste
1 1/2 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
salt and pepper
few drops of sesame oil
1-2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken with peanut butter, tomato paste, honey, chilli powder, salt, pepper and sesame oil.  Let stand for 10-15 minutes.
2. Preheat oven at 200c.  Place the baking tray with baking paper, arrange the drumsticks onto the tray and spoon all the sauce over the chicken.
3. Bake for 40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.  Turn over once or twice.  Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds before serving.

Source: adopted and modified from the cookbook, "I Love to bake!" by Tana Ramsay