Seen as a symbol of abundance, harmony, and luck, the full moon holds special significance in Chinese culture. With the moon said to be at its brightest and fullest on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, Chinese communities around the world recently celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival.
In the Philippines, aside from sharing a delicious meal, many Chinese-Filipino families play the “dice game” – known in Hokkien as Pua Tiong Chiu. The game involves rolling six dice into a large bowl, winning prizes based on certain combinations. Among the prizes to be won, in many celebrations, one delicacy usually stands out: mooncakes.
Mooncakes are synonymous with the Mid-Autumn Festival. In Chinese culture, these sweet and salty pastries are the product of a profound tradition that traces its roots back to ancient times when cakes and fruits were offered to the moon.
During the festival, mooncakes are shared among family members, and given to friends and relatives as an expression of love and best wishes. Usually consisting of a thin crust that houses a rich, thick filling, mooncake varieties have grown throughout the years. Aside from more traditional offerings made with mung beans (munggo), lotus seed paste, red bean paste, and salted duck egg yolk, nowadays, it isn’t uncommon to see mooncakes that incorporate chocolate, coffee, tiramisu, ube, and even pandan.
While there may be an abundance of mooncakes for sale during the Mid-Autumn Festival, making your own to share with friends and loved ones adds an extra personal touch to your celebrations. With the help of Philips Airfryers to help ensure healthy food that’s crispy on the outside yet tender on the inside — ensuring great tasting fries made with up to 90% less fat, here are four mooncake recipes to make in the comfort of your own home kitchen.
Sesame Mooncakes
Pastry Dough
- 20g freshly ground black sesame powder
- 190g cake flour
- 100g unsalted butter
- 15g egg wash
- 45g icing sugar
- 20g whipping cream
- 10g coconut milk
Black Sesame Filling
- 216g black sesame mooncake filling
- 24g black sesame seeds
- To make black sesame filling, wrap black sesame seeds in tin foil. Put into Airfryer and bake at 160ËšC for 5 mins. Cool seeds before grinding them into powder with a food processor.
- Mix all filling ingredients. Divide into 20g pieces and roll into balls. Chill in refrigerator for later use.
- To make pastry dough, mix and sieve cake flour and sesame powder.
- Mix softened butter with sieved icing sugar. Stir in egg wash, whipping cream, and coconut milk. Add sifted cake flour and sesame powder, then knead mixture together.
- Wrap with cling film and refrigerate for at least 1hr.
- Diving pastry dough into 28g portions. Roll into small balls and flatten out with palms. Place a portion of black sesame filling on a piece of flattened dough. Wrap dough around black sesame ball. Seal dough and softly roll into ball.
- Put dough into a lightly greased stamp mould. Press to release mooncake then cover with cling film and refrigerate for more than 1hr.
- Cut baking sheet into small squares and place mooncakes on top. Put mooncakes in the Airfryer basket.
- Pre-heat Airfryer at 200ËšC for 10mins. Spray water on mooncakes before placing them on the baking tray. Bake at 200ËšC for 4mins then bake at 180ËšC for 2mins.
- Remove the baking tray along with mooncakes. Brush on some syrup and bake for 1min. Place mooncakes on plate and serve.
Matcha Red Bean Mooncakes
- 240g red bean paste
- 180g low-gluten flour
- 10g coconut milk
- 10g matcha powder
- 100g unsalted butter
- 20g whipping cream
- 15g eggs
- 45g icing sugar
1.To make red bean filling, divide red bean paste into 20g portions. Gently roll each into a ball. Chill in refrigerator for later use.
- To make pastry dough, whisk together icing, sugar, softened butter, egg, whipping cream and coconut milk until well blended.
- Add sifted low-gluten flour and matcha powder and knead mixture into a dough. Wrap with cling film and refrigerate for more than 1hr.
- Divide pastry dough into 28g portions. Roll each into a small ball and flatten with palms. Place a portion of red bean filling on flattened dough. Wrap dough around red bean and softly roll into a ball.
- Put balls into a lightly greased stamp mould. Press to release mooncake then cover with cling film and refrigerate for more than 1hr.
- Cut baking sheet into small squares. Place mooncakes on top. Put mooncakes in the Airfryer basket. Switch on and set Airfryer at 160ËšC for 9mins.
- Remove baking tray along with mooncakes. Brush on syrup and bake for 1min. Place mooncakes on a plate and serve.
These mooncake recipes and more can be found on the Philips NutriU App. Launched in 2019, the Philips NutriU App contains thousands of nutritious recipes curated by nutritionists and chefs that don’t compromise on taste. It also comes equipped with tips and recommendations for meals that involve frying, baking, grilling and roasting — making it the perfect companion when used along the Philips Airfryer to create healthy, tasty, meals.
