I made some Cantonese style mooncakes with red bean paste a couple of days ago. The crust of Cantonese mooncakes is rather thin, like paper thin, and has a dough/filling ratios of 1 to 4. The deep color of the filing makes the wrapping process very tricky as any unevenness will simply show through. To make my life easier, I’ve changed the ratios to 1 to 3.
這是EC數天前做的廣式豆沙月餅，廣式月餅的餅皮比較薄，傳統的皮餡比例是1比4，像紙般薄的皮實在很難包，豆沙餡料色澤又深，稍微有一點包得不平均便會盡露，因此EC把皮餡的比例換作1比3。
To enhance the red bean flavor, I’ve added maltose and red bean powder when I prepared my red bean paste. It tasted so much better than the filling I made for my snowskin mooncakes last year. Unlike lotus seed paste, red bean paste feels rather soft in texture. Therefore I recommend chilling the filling ahead of time before use. Adding toasted and chopped nuts into the filling would be a great idea as well. Just make sure to maintain the weight of the filling.
今次炒紅豆餡時也加入了麥芽糖及純紅豆粉，紅豆的味道頓時增添了不少，味道更勝去年冰皮月餅的紅豆餡。與蓮蓉餡比較，紅豆餡是很軟身的，EC覺得先把餡料冷藏過後才使用，包餡時將會更容易操作，愛吃果仁的亦可在餡料中加入烤香的果仁碎，只要維持餡料重量便可。
For the dough, I incorporated skim milk powder to add more flavor. In fact I have tested with both cake and all-purpose flour. I prefer all-purpose flour as it tends to produce a pattern that is much clearer. Perhaps this is due to the higher gluten content. I made my own golden syrup (recipe link will be provided below). Agave syrup and honey both worked equally well in my previous trials. Each yields a slightly different taste which is likely unnoticeable as the crust is so thin. There is another ingredient, namely kansui, which is used only in a minimal amount. I’m not sure if there is anyone like me who wonders if kansui can be skipped. I was so curious to find out why kansui is needed so I did an experiment last week on my sugar-free mooncakes. What I discovered was that it took a very long time for the mooncakes to brown without the presence of kansui. By the time my mooncakes finally turned golden brown, the mooncakes just got too hot in the oven and the filling bursted out of the crust! Kansui, according to online references, is a mixture of sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate. It raises the alkalinity (pH) by balancing out the acids in the golden syrup. It also serves to soften and puff up the crust of mooncakes (from Baidu). With a raised alkalinity (pH), Maillard reaction will be promoted, resulting in faster browning. Baking soda (which is sodium bicarbonate) does the trick too, but it has a weaker pH so is a lot less powerful than kansui. I didn’t buy any kansui last year as unlike baking supply stores in Hong Kong, kansui is sold in big bottle at Asian grocery stores here in Toronto and the smallest bottle I could get is 500ml. So I followed Harold McGee’s method to make a substitute by making baked baking soda. Simply by baking, baking soda would be transformed into sodium carbonate that is more potent. I was very satisfied with the result and will include some pictures at the end of this blog post.
月餅皮方面，EC在麵粉中加添了脫脂奶粉，而低筋及中筋麵粉EC也試過了，個人經驗是中筋麵粉比較能做出漂亮的花紋，應該是筋度較高的緣故吧！金黃糖漿是自己煮的，EC試過改用龍舌蘭蜜和蜜糖，效果差不多，只是月餅的味道有少許不同(其實餅皮那麼薄是很難察覺的)。至於另一種材料一梘水，或許大家會問，梘水份量那麼少，不加可以麼？愛研究及求真的EC又怎會沒想過這個問題呢？上星期製作無糖月餅時EC便做了實驗，結果發現沒加梘水的月餅要焗很久才上色，當焗至上色時月餅早已因為中心溫度過高而過度膨脹，以致餅皮爆裂了！翻查資料，梘水是以碳酸鉀和碳酸鈉為主要成份的鹼性混合物，作用包括中和糖漿的酸性、令餅皮軟化和鬆軟等(有關更多梘水資料可參考百度百科)。梘水也可增强餅皮的pH值，從而促進梅納反應(Maillard reaction)的發生，令月餅更金黃。除了梘水，梳打粉也有類似功效，可是梳打粉的鹼度沒梘水般强，去年EC沒有購買梘水(加拿大的梘水是不能像香港烘焙店般少量購買的，最少的份量也要500毫升！)，所以便依Harold McGee的方法將梳打粉烘乾做成鹼性更高的碳酸鉀(sodium carbonate)，效果真的十分不錯！EC在網誌末段也會附上照片給大家看看。
Red Bean Mooncakes
廣式豆沙月餅
Makes 10 mini mooncakes (50 g each)
可做10個50克迷你月餅
For the Dough
68 g all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
4 g skim milk powder
40 g golden syrup (see homemade golden syrup recipe here)
18 g grapeseed oil
1/4 tsp kansui
For the Filling
370 g sweet red bean paste (see recipe here)
For the Egg Wash
1 large egg yolk
1/2 large egg white
材料
月餅皮
中筋麵粉 68克(另加少量掃面用)
脫脂奶粉 4克
金黃糖漿 40克(自製金黃糖漿食譜請到這裡)
葡萄籽油 18克
梘水 1/4茶匙
餡料
紅豆沙餡 370克(食譜請到這裡)
蛋黃液(掃面用)
蛋黃 一個
蛋白 半個
Directions 做法
For the Dough 月餅皮
In a large bowl combine golden syrup, grapeseed oil and kansui. Stir with a spatula until incorporated (the mixture may emulsify if homemade golden syrup is used). Sift in the flour and milk powder then stir gently to form a dough. Shape dough into a log then wrap with plastic wrap. Let rest in the fridge for an hour.
大碗內放糖漿、油和梘水拌匀(用自製糖漿時混合物或許會乳化)，加入過篩麵粉和奶粉用膠刮輕拌成麵糰，塑成長條用保鮮紙包好冷藏一小時備用。
For the Filling 餡料
Divide red bean paste into 10 equal portions (37 g each). Shape each into a ball and chill thoroughly before use.
紅豆餡分成10份，每份37克，搓圓後冷藏備用。
For the Egg Wash 蛋黃液
In a small bowl whisk together the egg white and yolk until combined. Strain then set aside.
小碗中放蛋黃和蛋白拌勻，過篩備用。
For Shaping 造型
Divide dough into 10 equal portions (13 g each). Shape each into a ball then set aside.
把餅皮分成10份，每份13克，搓圓備用。
Take a portion of dough and roll it out into a disc between two pieces of plastic wrap. The dough should be slightly thinner around the edges. Remove plastic wraps and place a red bean paste ball in the middle. Wrap then seal edges by pinching them together. I held the dough with one hand and used my purlicue (the space between my thumb and my forefinger) of the other hand to seal the edges while turning the dough slightly. Shape the stuffed dough into a ball again. Poke air pocket, if any, with a toothpick. Coat slightly with flour. Repeat with remaining portions.
取一份餅皮放在兩張保鮮紙中間用麵棍按扁，中央要比邊緣厚，取走保鮮紙後包入餡料並收口(EC用虎口位把餅皮慢慢往上推並收口)，若發現有氣泡可用牙籤刺穿，搓至光滑後洒上一層薄麵粉，重覆包入餡料直至完成。
Brush a thin layer of flour on the inside of a 50-g mooncake mold to prevent sticking then tap off excess. Insert dough into the mold, seam side out. Flatten the dough slightly to fill up the mold. Place mold upright onto a parchment paper lined baking tray then press down firmly onto the plunger for 5 seconds to make an imprint. Press the plunger down again to release the mooncake. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Chill shaped mooncakes for 15 minutes. In the meantime, preheat oven to 400℉/200℃.
50克月餅模內掃上麵粉後拍走，把月餅放入模中(收口向外)，輕輕把月餅依模形按平，把模反轉放在已墊牛油紙的烤盆上，按下把手緊壓五秒印上花紋，之後按動把手推出月餅，完成所有月餅造型後放入雪櫃冷藏15分鐘定型，此時可預熱焗爐至400℉/200℃。
Spray mooncakes with water to prevent the surface from cracking. Bake for 8 minutes to set the crust. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes. With a small pastry brush, brush tops with a thin layer of egg wash. Let dry for 10 minutes then brush on a second coat of egg wash. Continue baking at 350℉/175℃ for another 10 to 12 minutes or until the mooncakes are golden brown. Cool completely on a cooling rack.
在月餅表面噴水防止表皮爆裂，放入焗爐8分鐘定型後取出放涼10分鐘，在表面花紋處掃上薄蛋黃液，10分鐘後掃上第二次蛋黃液，放回焗爐以350℉/175℃繼續焗10至12分鐘至金黃色後取出轉移鋼架放凉。
Store mooncakes in an air-tight container for two to three days so the oil can seep through the skin of the mooncakes. When the skin becomes soft and shiny the mooncakes are ready to be served.
把月餅放在密封盒中保存兩至三天等待回油，月餅皮軟化和有光澤後便可享用。
The dough of these red bean mooncakes I made last year was made with agave syrup and baked baking soda. The dough made up 30% of the weight of the mooncake.
這些豆沙月餅的餅皮用龍舌蘭蜜及烘乾的梳打粉製作，是EC去年的作品，皮餡比例為37。
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