{"id":"recipe_e9cabd9be3","slug":"mooncake","title":"Mooncake","description":"A traditional Chinese pastry consisting of a thin, tender crust surrounding a dense, sweet filling of lotus seed paste and a salted egg yolk representing the moon.","serves":12,"time":{"prepMinutes":60,"cookMinutes":20,"totalMinutes":105,"activeMinutes":60},"ingredients":[{"id":"ingredient-1","original":"140g Golden syrup","name":"Golden Syrup","quantity":140,"unit":"g","usQuantity":"1/2","usUnit":"cup","form":"liquid","notes":"Inverted sugar syrup","group":"Crust","optional":false},{"id":"ingredient-2","original":"50ml Vegetable oil","name":"Vegetable Oil","quantity":50,"unit":"ml","usQuantity":"1/4","usUnit":"cup","form":"liquid","notes":"Neutral flavored oil like peanut or canola","group":"Crust","optional":false},{"id":"ingredient-3","original":"1 tsp Lye water","name":"Lye water","quantity":5,"unit":"ml","usQuantity":1,"usUnit":"tsp","form":"liquid","notes":"Kansui or alkaline water","group":"Crust","optional":false},{"id":"ingredient-4","original":"200g Cake flour","name":"Cake Flour","quantity":200,"unit":"g","usQuantity":"1 1/2","usUnit":"cup","form":"sifted","notes":"Cake flour","group":"Crust","optional":false},{"id":"ingredient-5","original":"600g Lotus seed paste","name":"Lotus seed paste","quantity":600,"unit":"g","usQuantity":21.1,"usUnit":"oz","form":"paste","notes":"Sweetened","group":"Filling","optional":false},{"id":"ingredient-6","original":"12 Salted egg yolks","name":"Egg Yolks","quantity":12,"unit":"piece","usQuantity":12,"usUnit":"piece","form":"salted","notes":"Pre-cooked or steamed until firm","group":"Filling","optional":false},{"id":"ingredient-7","original":"1 Egg yolk","name":"Egg Yolk","quantity":1,"unit":"piece","usQuantity":1,"usUnit":"piece","form":"beaten","notes":"For egg wash","group":"Glaze","optional":false},{"id":"ingredient-8","original":"1 tbsp Water","name":"Water","quantity":15,"unit":"ml","usQuantity":1,"usUnit":"tbsp","form":"liquid","notes":"To dilute egg wash","group":"Glaze","optional":false}],"instructions":[{"id":"instruction-1","text":"In a large mixing bowl, combine golden syrup, vegetable oil, and lye water. Whisk until well combined.","group":"Prepare Dough","title":"Combine golden syrup, vegetable oil, and lye water","timerMinutes":null,"sourceTitle":"Prepare Dough"},{"id":"instruction-2","text":"Sift the cake flour into the liquid mixture. Use a spatula to fold the flour in until a soft dough forms. Wrap in plastic film and rest for at least 45 minutes.","group":"Prepare Dough","title":"Sift the cake flour","timerMinutes":45,"sourceTitle":"Prepare Dough"},{"id":"instruction-3","text":"Divide the lotus seed paste into 12 equal portions (approx 40-45g each). Take one portion, flatten it, place a salted egg yolk in the center, and roll it into a ball.","group":"Prepare Filling","title":"Divide the lotus seed paste","timerMinutes":null,"sourceTitle":"Prepare Filling"},{"id":"instruction-4","text":"Divide the rested dough into 12 equal portions (approx 25g each). Flatten a piece of dough into a thin circle, place the filling ball in the center, and gently push the dough up to cover the filling completely. Roll into a smooth ball.","group":"Assembly","title":"Divide the rested dough","timerMinutes":null,"sourceTitle":"Assembly"},{"id":"instruction-5","text":"Dust the mooncake mold with a little flour. Insert the ball into the mold and press down firmly on a parchment-lined baking tray to imprint the pattern. Repeat for all cakes.","group":"Assembly","title":"Dust the mooncake mold","timerMinutes":null,"sourceTitle":"Assembly"},{"id":"instruction-6","text":"Preheat oven to 375°F (191°C). Lightly spray the mooncakes with water to prevent the crust from cracking. Bake for 5 minutes to set the shape.","group":"Baking","title":"Preheat oven to 375°F","timerMinutes":5,"sourceTitle":"Baking"},{"id":"instruction-7","text":"Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Mix the egg yolk and water together. Brush a very thin layer of egg wash over the top patterns of the cakes.","group":"Baking","title":"Remove from oven and let cool","timerMinutes":5,"sourceTitle":"Baking"},{"id":"instruction-8","text":"Lower the oven temperature to 325°F (163°C) and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the mooncakes are golden brown.","group":"Baking","title":"Lower the oven temperature","timerMinutes":12,"sourceTitle":"Baking"}],"notes":"Store mooncakes in an airtight container for 2-3 days before eating. This allows the oil from the filling to soften the crust (a process called 'returning oil'), giving it a glossy finish and better texture.","cuisine":{"group":"East Asian","specific":["Chinese"]},"course":["dessert"],"cookingMethod":["bake"],"equipment":["Mooncake mold (75g)","Baking tray","Parchment paper","Mixing bowls","Sifter","Pastry brush"],"diet":["vegetarian"],"allergens":["wheat","eggs"],"difficulty":"hard","yield":{"amount":12,"unit":"piece","note":"Based on 75g mold size"},"makeAhead":{"instructions":"The dough can be prepared 2 hours in advance. Assembled mooncakes should be baked immediately."},"storage":{"food":{"instructions":"Store in an airtight container at room temperature. They are best eaten 3 days after baking once the crust has softened.","reheatingNotes":"Not recommended to reheat as it can dry out the lotus paste."}},"image":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/ezdish-prod.firebasestorage.app/o/public_recipes%2Frecipe_e9cabd9be3%2Fcover.jpg?alt=media&token=06a2c1ce-9dd2-4e9a-9010-40fa0c53221d","imageAlt":"Mooncake — recipe cover","aiGenerated":true,"publishedAt":"2026-10-10","updatedAt":"2026-10-11","sourceUrl":"","tags":["mooncake","mid-autumn festival","lotus seed paste","traditional chinese","pastry"],"schemaVersion":1,"sourceTitle":"Mooncake","sourcePublishedAt":"2026-02-04T19:37:17.755Z","sourceUpdatedAt":"2026-02-04T19:37:17.755Z","related":[{"id":"recipe_ca9c87ad67","slug":"injeolmi-korean-rice-cakes","title":"Injeolmi (Korean Rice Cakes)","description":"A classic Korean dessert consisting of chewy, soft rice cakes made from glutinous rice flour and coated in nutty, toasted soybean powder.","serves":4,"time":{"prepMinutes":10,"cookMinutes":5,"totalMinutes":25,"activeMinutes":15},"cuisine":{"group":"East Asian","specific":["Korean"]},"course":["dessert"],"difficulty":"easy","diet":["vegan","vegetarian","gluten_free","dairy_free"],"image":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/ezdish-prod.firebasestorage.app/o/public_recipes%2Frecipe_ca9c87ad67%2Fcover.jpg?alt=media&token=385f6364-55ea-4845-ab94-8ac79d9d42d0","imageAlt":"Injeolmi (Korean Rice Cakes) — recipe cover","tags":["korean","rice cake","mochi","gluten free","vegan","chewy","soybean","traditional"],"aiGenerated":true,"publishedAt":"2026-10-10","updatedAt":"2026-10-11","ingredientCount":5,"stepCount":6},{"id":"recipe_ccccb482e4","slug":"kakigori-japanese-shaved-ice","title":"Kakigori (Japanese Shaved Ice)","description":"A light and airy traditional Japanese dessert made of finely shaved ice flavored with sweet syrups and topped with condensed milk or traditional ingredients like sweetened red beans.","serves":1,"time":{"prepMinutes":5,"cookMinutes":0,"totalMinutes":5,"activeMinutes":5},"cuisine":{"group":"East Asian","specific":["Japanese"]},"course":["dessert"],"difficulty":"easy","diet":["vegetarian","gluten_free"],"image":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/ezdish-prod.firebasestorage.app/o/public_recipes%2Frecipe_ccccb482e4%2Fcover.jpg?alt=media&token=9bded2bc-0f7d-4a29-a087-57febe37da7e","imageAlt":"Kakigori (Japanese Shaved Ice) — recipe cover","tags":["kakigori","shaved ice","japanese dessert","summer","refreshing","cold treat"],"aiGenerated":true,"publishedAt":"2026-10-10","updatedAt":"2026-10-11","ingredientCount":4,"stepCount":4},{"id":"recipe_fe47d48a74","slug":"patbingsu-korean-shaved-ice","title":"Patbingsu (Korean Shaved Ice)","description":"A classic Korean summer treat featuring snowy shaved ice topped with sweet red bean paste, chewy rice cakes, and creamy condensed milk.","serves":2,"time":{"prepMinutes":15,"cookMinutes":0,"totalMinutes":15,"activeMinutes":15},"cuisine":{"group":"East Asian","specific":["Korean"]},"course":["dessert"],"difficulty":"easy","diet":["vegetarian","gluten_free"],"image":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/ezdish-prod.firebasestorage.app/o/public_recipes%2Frecipe_fe47d48a74%2Fcover.jpg?alt=media&token=26197653-fe28-4705-bcc9-a99fc3eeffb9","imageAlt":"Patbingsu (Korean Shaved Ice) — recipe cover","tags":["patbingsu","shaved ice","korean dessert","red bean","summer","refreshing","mochi"],"aiGenerated":true,"publishedAt":"2026-10-10","updatedAt":"2026-10-11","ingredientCount":5,"stepCount":4}]}