Internet-Famous Crab Red Bean Mooncakes
These super cute viral little crab-shaped red bean paste mooncakes are as delicious as they are fun to make, and they’re a popular trendy snack. Common issues often pop up when preparing the crust, including shrinking edges, sogginess at the base, unclear patterned details, and surface cracking. The guide below walks through solutions for each of these problems, so following the steps carefully will guarantee you get perfect results.
Ingredients
wheat core flour
400g
invert syrup
280g
peanut oil
90g
alkaline water
8g
red bean paste filling
1360g
cornstarch
as needed
egg yolk wash
1 egg yolk + 1/4 egg white + 15g water
Instructions
1
Step 1
First, prepare the required ingredients. Pour the invert syrup, peanut oil, and alkaline water into a mixing bowl, and whisk together evenly with a hand whisk.
2
Step 2
Next, add the Australian wheat core flour and use a spatula to fold it into a dough. Mix until there are no dry pockets of flour. Medium-gluten flour is suitable for making mooncakes and is easy to find in most supermarkets.
3
Step 3
Then wrap with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for at least 2 hours. Do not rest for too long, or the dough will release oil. Adjust the resting time according to the temperature; in hot weather, shorten the resting time.
4
Step 4
Divide the red bean paste into 40g portions and roll each into a ball by hand. The ratio of dough to filling is 3:7 or 2:8; I used a 3:7 ratio.
5
Step 5
Crack the egg yolk into a bowl, add 1/4 egg white and 15g of water. This mixture will be used to brush the surface of the mooncakes.
6
Step 6
Weigh the rested dough and divide it into 34 equal portions, rolling each into a ball by hand.
7
Step 7
Take a small dough portion and flatten it with your hand. Place a red bean paste ball in the center. Using the webbing between your thumb and index finger, carefully push the dough up around the filling, pinch to seal, then roll into an oval shape.
8
Step 8
Coat the shaped dough in a thin layer of cornstarch, then press it into the mooncake mold until level.
9
Step 9
Once all the crab mooncakes are molded, spray them with a thin layer of water. Place them on the middle rack of an oven preheated to 200°C and bake for 5 minutes with both top and bottom heat to set the shape.
10
Step 10
Once the pattern is set, take the crab mooncakes out and brush a thin layer of egg yolk wash on top. Return to the oven and bake for about 15 more minutes.
11
Step 11
Bake until the surface is golden brown, then remove from the oven. The freshly baked crab mooncakes will be very soft; they will only firm up once completely cooled.
12
Step 12
Then store sealed at room temperature. After waiting two to three days, the mooncakes will begin to release oil and become soft and moist. Once the oil returns, they are ready to eat.
