How to make Suzhou style red bean paste and egg yolk mooncakes

Every time you visit friends or colleagues’ homes, you’ll find that they all have one or two specialties. But every time it was my turn, I was always short of money. You look particularly embarrassed like this, don't you? So, for the sake of your dignity, come and learn from me how to make Suzhou-style red bean paste and egg yolk mooncakes.

1.1 Smooth red bean paste

2.2 Put the red bean paste and butter in a pot and cook over medium-low heat until the butter and red bean paste are blended.

3. Spray a small amount of rice wine on the surface of the salted egg yolk to remove the fishy smell, bake in an oven at 180C for 5 minutes, take out and let cool, then cut in half for later use

4.2121 Divide the red bean paste into 20g portions and wrap half a salted egg yolk in it

5. Roll into a ball

6. For the dough, put all the ingredients in a steel bowl, pour hot water into the bowl in a circular motion, and stir with a spoon or chopsticks until it becomes a wet and sticky dough.

7.12121Cover with plastic wrap and place indoors to relax for 1 hour. Gently push and roll the dough while kneading it with your palms for about 2 to 3 minutes.

8.21212Put it on the workbench. Because the dough is very wet and sticky, you don’t need to knead it.

9.1 Put it in a plastic bag

10.2 For the pastry dough, mix the ingredients gently with a spoon.

11. Press and squeeze a few times with your palms to form a ball.

12. Store in the refrigerator

13. Puff pastry: Cut the relaxed puff pastry dough into small pieces of equal size, about 10g each, and then use your fingers to slightly round them.

14. Take out the pastry dough from the refrigerator, cut it into small dough pieces of the same size, about 10g each, and roll them into balls on the workbench.

15.1 Use your fingers to pinch the opening tightly to seal it into a ball shape

16.2 Flatten the dough with your palm and wrap it with a piece of puff pastry dough

17. First roll: Place the relaxed dough with the edge facing upwards

18. Press gently with your palm

19. Place a small rolling pin in the center of the dough, press upwards, then gently press downwards from the center until the dough is rolled into an oval shape.

20. Gently pull down from the top to roll up the dough

21. Grow into a tube

22. Cover with plastic wrap/wet cloth (to prevent the dough from becoming dry and hard) and place it indoors to relax for 10 to 20 minutes

23. Roll the dough for the second time: close the dough facing upwards

24. Use a small rolling pin to press lightly in the center.

25. Gently press upwards and downwards until the dough becomes a long strip. Try to make it as thin as possible.

26. Gently pull down from the top to roll up the dough

27. Cylindrical

28. Cover with plastic wrap/wet cloth (to prevent the dough from becoming dry and hard) and place it indoors to relax for 20 to 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 170C (338F)

29. Place the relaxed dough with the seam facing upwards

30. Use your fingers to flatten the two ends (the middle is convex)

31. Fold the two ends towards the middle

32. Use your palm to gently flatten it, and use a small rolling pin to press from the center outwards.

33. Dough into a round dough with a diameter of 8cm and thick in the middle and thin at the edges

34. Place the smooth side facing outwards and wrap the filling inside.

35. Use your fingers to pinch the seam to seal it.

36. Remember not to make the seam too thick!

37. Place your palms vertically on the work surface like knives and knead the dough into small balls.

38. Dip the end of the chopsticks in red pigment and then place a dot in the middle of the dough for decoration.

39. Place the dough in the lower layer of the oven, place a baking tray on the upper layer, lower the oven temperature to 160C (320F) and bake for about 20 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 150C (302F) and continue baking for about 5 to 8 minutes. After baking, let the mooncakes cool down.

There are many people in the world who love to eat Suzhou-style red bean paste and egg yolk mooncakes, but few know how to make them. So, if you know what to do, will you still just sit there and do nothing? You should know that being able to cook this dish on your own is also a highlight of your life.