Traditional Achuran Mooncakes

Spiral Achuran Moon Cake Recipe

For the Moon Cake Filling:

Ingredients:

300g sweet potatoes (purple ones preferable)—start with about 400-500g sweet potatoes unpeeled.

1/4 cup milk

2 oz butter

1/4-1/2 cup sugar (depending on how sweet your sweet potatoes are, just taste and add more sugar to taste)

1/2 tsp salt

Method:

1. Boil sweet potatoes then peel and mash the sweet potatoes.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the mashed potatoes and mix till it forms a paste.

3. Roll out into 20 balls. Put aside while making the pastry dough.

For the Moon Cake Dough:

Ingredients:

Water Dough (A)

200g unbleached all-purpose flour

28g icing sugar

pinch of salt

80g cold butter

80g water

Oil Dough (B)

180g unbleached all-purpose flour

pinch of salt

90g oil (I use canola)

½ tsp pandan essence

Method:

1. For the water dough, sift flour, sugar and salt. Then cut butter into flour mixture using fingertips or pastry blender until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add in water and mix to form a soft, non-sticky dough. If it is sticky, you will need to add a bit more flour to get it to be the right texture. You should be able to form a soft ball that won’t stick to your hands. You don’t have to knead it. Cover and set aside to rest for 20 mins.

2. For the oil dough, sift flour and salt. Then, make a well in the centre of the flour and add in oil and pandan essence. Draw in the flour from the sides and mix to form a soft even coloured dough (same thing here, if it’s too sticky, add more dough till you form a soft ball that doesn’t stick to your hands). Do not over-mix. Cover and set aside for 20 mins.

To assemble and bake:

3. Preheat oven to 185 C or 350 F.

4. Divide A and B into 10 equal balls.

5. Taking one piece of (A), flatten and wrap (B) in it. Pinch to seal edges.

6. With the sealed side facing up, roll into a rectangle.

7. Roll up like a snail to form a ‘cylinder’, turn the cylinder 90 degrees, with the end facing up.

8. Roll again into a long thin strip.

9. Using a sharp knife or a pastry cutter, cut the cylinder in the middle into two pieces.

10. With the cut side facing down, flatten the dough, making the edges slightly thinner than the centre. I tend to leave a little hump in the center so that when the filling is wrapped around the pastry, the dough will be evenly thick all around (looks like a Mexican sombrero).

11. Wrap the filling and pinch to seal. Try not to ‘tug/pull’ too hard, otherwise the layers will tear. Best to flatten the dough larger than smaller so it’s easier to pinch. And when you pinch, you will find that the bottom looks ugly—don’t worry about it.

12. Place sealed side down on lined baking tray and bake for about 30 mins until the top and bottom are a light golden brown.

Then enjoy this traditional treat.