Skip to main content

Snow Skin Mooncakes | Matcha Mooncakes with Red Bean Filling

Celebrate the mid-autumn festival with the dreamiest mooncakes ever! These snow skin mooncakes are tenderer than a baby's cheek, slightly chewy, velvety, and just sweet enough and balanced in flavor. Plus they are gluten-free and no bake!

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, is a traditional festival celebrated by Chinese people. It is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar, when the moon is believed to be at its fullest and brightest. On this day, family and friends gather to appreciate the full moon while enjoying mooncakes.

There are many different types of mooncakes. The most traditional kind would be the baked ones with a buttery pastry crust, usually round or square-shaped, intricately decorated, and filled with sweet fillings such as lotus seed paste or red bean paste. In southern China, the "thousand-layer" mooncakes are more popular, with the pastry crust being light, layered, and crisp. And of course, snow skin mooncakes which is more of a modern-day twist on mooncakes using mochi as the wrapper.

It's hard for me to pick a favorite, however, the snow-skin type is in my opinion the easiest and quickest to make! And they have such a delicate texture that's also fun to play with. They can be served 


INGREDIENTS:

50 g glutinous rice flour

50 g regular rice flour

25 g wheat starch or tapioca starch 

25 g condensed coconut milk

185 g soy milk

25 g neutral taste oil

1 teaspoon matcha powder

Extra glutinous rice flour for dusting


TO MAKE:

- In a mixing bowl, whisk together everything except the oil and matcha, until completely dissolved and no lumps left, you can pass the mixture through a sift to make sure;

- Transfer the mixture into a bowl or Tupperware, cover with a heat safe lid or a plate to prevent water from dripping in, bring the water in your steamer pot to boil, and steam on medium high heat for 25 minutes;

- While waiting, toast some glutinous rice flour in a dry pan over low heat for 5 minutes, we will use this flour for dusting the mold later so it doesn't stick and we don't wanna eat raw flour;

- Make 25 gram balls of the filling you are using;

- Once the mixture is steamed, cut a few slashes in the mixture to let the heat out, pour in the oil, and press the oil in with a spatula;

- When the mixture is cool enough to handle, start kneading, the dough will be very very sticky at this point so make sure to wear culinary gloves to prevent sticking!

- Knead until the dough is very smooth and all the oil is absorbed, divide into two and knead the matcha powder into one portion to color it;

- Take a 15 gram piece from each of the white and green mochi dough, press the two pieces together, stretch it out and twist to create the marbling effect, then shape into a ball again;

- Press to flatten the ball and keep pressing so it's big enough to wrap the filling, add the filling to the center, use your thumb and index finger to close the opening, and roll into a ball once again, watch the video for better visual demonstration!

- Repeat until you finish with all the dough and filling;

- Dust the wrapped ball with some toasted glutinous rice flour, lightly dust the mold press with some flour as well, cover the ball with your press lightly press down and release immediately, the mooncake should fall out easily, repeat with all the wrapped balls;

- Chill the mooncakes in the fridge for 20 minutes before serving for even better texture, enjoy and happy Mid Autumn Festival!


Popular posts from this blog

Whole Roasted Turmeric Cauliflower with Whipped Tofu Feta, Crispy Chickpeas & Chimichurri

Turn cauliflower into your next holiday centerpiece dish! This whole roasted cauliflower is super easy to make yet packed with layers of different textures and flavors, high in plant protein, and gluten-free! Cauliflower is literally magic, they can be turned into just about anything and have! This is a dish that fully celebrates cauliflower and compliments it with many different elements and flavors. It's very low-fuss and easy to make and it's so festive-looking it can be a wow factor at any holiday gathering. The cauliflower is blanched first then roasted with a turmeric-based seasoning till golden and slightly charred, served with crispy chickpeas, which are cooked at the same time with the cauliflower, on a bed of creamy fluffy whipped tofu feta and finally drizzled with tahini and chimichurri sauce. You can also add roasted baby carrots, or potatoes, or green beans on the side of this dish! Let the festivities begin ^^ INGREDIENTS: 1 head cauliflower 1/4 cup olive oil 2 t
Get the recipe »

Rice Paper Sushi Rolls with Teriyaki Tofu and Veggies

When crispy rice paper rolls and sushi rolls have a baby - then we have something that has the best of both worlds. These rice paper sushi rolls are a perfect combination of earth and ocean, crispy chewy rice paper brings the aroma of the earth, seaweed brings the taste of the ocean, then filled with umami teriyaki tofu, homemade vegan mayo, and fresh veggies. If you ever feel "bored" with your food or cooking, try combining a few things you love and creating something new! These rolls are the kind of magic where 1 plus 1 is greater than 2! They are naturally gluten-free, very well balanced in nutrition with loads protein, carbs, vitamins, and fiber... packed full of flavors and layers of texture. When it comes to rice paper, a very common complaint is "why is my rice paper roll soggy/not crispy/leaking". Well rice paper is a wonderfully versatile ingredient to work with and once you get the hang of it it's super easy to get that golden crispy crust every single
Get the recipe »

Vegan Napa Cabbage Rolls with Tofu Stuffings

These napa cabbage rolls are almost like vegan dumplings but without having to make any dough. The stuffings are hearty, savory, and "meaty", wrapped in sweet and juicy napa cabbage leaves that are pan-seared to give them a little golden color and charred flavor, and finally dressed in a shiny, umami, garlicky sauce. Cabbage rolls are widely loved in many parts of the world - Central, Northern, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe and much of Asia, as well as parts of North Africa. But of course, they're made differently from region to region. In China, in particular, cabbage rolls are usually made with napa cabbage, as opposed to cannonball cabbage, commonly known as green cabbage. They're then stuffed with minced pork and vegetables and finished by steaming or pan-fring. To make a vegan version, I used tofu, brown rice, shiitake mushrooms, carrot, and scallions but the combination is highly adaptable. This is a perfect chance to use up any scraps of veggies in your fri
Get the recipe »

Vegan Okonomiyaki (Japanese Savory Pancake with Veggies)

My absolute favorite Japanese street food, EVER!  Okonomiyaki is like a big savory pancake that is thick, a bit chewy, fluffy and soft on the inside and golden crispy on the outside, topped off with a generous amount of umami and sweet sauce and mayo. Okonomiyaki is a Japanese savory pancake made of vegetables, sometimes meat and seafood, in a wheat flour batter. It's as adaptable as an omelet, if not more, as the word  okonomi  literally means "how you like" or "what you like".You can pretty much stuff it with whatever ingredients you prefer but for this vegan version, I used a variety of vegetables. This is also a great fridge clearing recipe to use up all the scraps of veggies you have on your hand. For the batter, the traditional okonomiyaki recipe calls for grated nagaimo to add fluffiness to the texture. Nagaimo, or mountain yam, is a type of root vegetable that's long and hairy, it's creamy and slimy when grated. However, it's not easy to find
Get the recipe »

Chinese Cucumber Salad - Suo Yi Cucumber

The most fabulous way to cut and present cucumber, ever! This cucumber salad is made of ONE SINGLE cucumber, sliced into a spring shape and dressed in a sweet, sour, and umami sauce, and finally topped with some aromatic and spicy chili oil. Let's please call this dish by its proper name - Suo Yi cucumber, or Suo Yi Huang Gua 蓑衣黄瓜. Suo Yi, refers to the traditional Chinese raincoat made of overlapping layers of straw and sometimes leaves, think a Hawaiian grass skirt but for the whole body. And the "scales" of the cucumber created by a special slicing technique and stretching resemble the layers of straws in Suo Yi, hence the name. And this special way of slicing is not just for presentation's sake! Because of all the incredibly thin, translucent, and flexible slices that this method creates, the seemingly ordinary cucumber is transformed into a form of magic and art! The texture is crunchy yet tender, every single thin "scale" of the cucumber picks up the s
Get the recipe »

Easy Vegan Kewpie Mayonnaise with Silken Tofu

This super easy vegan mayonnaise is silky, creamy, velvety, and tastes super similar to Kewpie mayo! It's made of 100% whole food plant ingredients, high in protein, without any oil or raw eggs and takes mere minutes to make! To be honest, I never liked the idea of raw eggs in traditional mayonnaise, I mean raw eggs whipped with an insane amount of oil... ugh... However, I did like its rich, creamy texture, especially the Japanese Kewpie mayo, which could add a nice flair in many dishes. The good news is this easy vegan version comes with all the familiar yumminess with no sanitary problems. The most important ingredient in this is extra-firm silken tofu. Yes, silken tofu can come in many different firmness too! For this specific recipe, I recommend the type of silken tofu that comes in paper cartons, not in a plastic tray with water. However, if you can't find extra-firm silken tofu you can try the regular type, different brands would have different water content in it. If it
Get the recipe »

Pan Fried Crispy Rice Paper Dumplings with Vegan Fillings

Happy year of the tiger! Dumplings are a must for me on the Chinese New Year, or Lunar New Year and these rice dumplings are the ultimate lazy and easy version. They're stuffed with a savory and "meaty" tofu veggie filling and then pan-fried till golden crispy. And to make the experience even more satisfying, serve them with some sizzling scallion chili oil! Rice papers are such a perfect "cheat" to make easy dumplings. No need to mix flour, knead the dough, then roll out the wrappers, simply dip rice papers in some warm water, cut them into shapes, and start wrapping. The texture is more like the "crystal dumplings" you would get at a dim sum restaurant - the skins would be translucent and chewy and if pan-fried, super crispy! For the fillings, I used a mixture of tofu and vegetables but this is highly adaptable! You can use up any scraps of veggies in your fridge and use any protein base you like - tofu, mashed lentils, or even crumbled tempeh. And i
Get the recipe »

Vegan Jumeokbap Korean Rice Balls 3 Ways

Make your next lunch box or picnic extra special with these Jumeokbap three ways! These Korean rice balls are the perfect grab & go meal and I made three flavors - filled with chickpea "chuna" mash, coated in teriyaki nori, and my personal fave, kimchi vegan cheese! One common confusion would be, what's the difference between Jumeokbap and Onigiri? Jumeokbap and onigiri are both rice ball dishes, but they come from different culinary traditions and have some differences in their preparation and ingredients. Jumeokbap is a Korean rice ball dish, you can usually find the various ingredients such as vegetables, meat, or seafood mixed IN the rice, and then shaped into balls, sometimes with fillings, sometimes without.  Onigiri, on the other hand, is a Japanese dish that consists of cooked short-grain rice that is shaped into a triangle or oval shape and often has a filling such as salmon, pickled plum, or tuna. The rice is usually seasoned with salt and wrapped with a she
Get the recipe »

Vegan Tofu Salmon Rice Bowl with Homemade Vegan Mayo

This mind-blowing tofu "salmon bowl" is my favorite lunch bowl ever and I myself make it at least once a week. Perfectly seasoned and slightly charred tofu "salmon", broken apart and mixed into a bowl of steamy rice, topped with sweet chili sauce and creamy homemade vegan kewpie mayo, and finally all wrapped in a piece of crispy seaweed - it's land and ocean, nutrition and flavor, all in one bite. You might know this bowl as an internet "trend" but for me and I believe many other Eastern Asian kids, it's a childhood memory. I grew up in a coastal city right on the beach and crispy seaweed is a snack our household always had in abundance, they're just so delicious, available, cheap, and actually healthy. And before anyone even had to teach me, I started using crispy seaweed to pick up steamed rice, I’d even skip the chopsticks and just use my fingers to pinch up the rice and whatever I mixed in it for that meal with the seaweed. I love the feeli
Get the recipe »

Vegan Yaki Onigiri aka Japanese Grilled Rice Balls with Chickpea "Chuna" Filling

Your next lunchbox, picnic, snack, appetizer, for just for anything! These yaki onigiris, aka grilled rice balls, are simply the best thing you can do with rice - you get a golden crunchy crust that's glazed with a umami and sweet sauce, yet the rice inside remains fluffy and steamy, the savory aroma from the grilled nori, plus whatever fillings you heart desires. How do you make a seemingly ordinary ingredient exciting? Look no further. With a few simple steps and some culinary magic, voila, you can turn good old white rice into these irresistible flavor bombs. My favorite part is that golden brown crispy crust, I honestly can't stop crunching them away! Yaki onigiri is one of those things that if you know the tricks and hacks then they are a breeze to make; but if you don't know where you can potentially fail, chances are something is gonna go wrong. So here are some very important points to keep in mind: 1. Use freshly made rice while they're still hot. This is the
Get the recipe »