A recipe for a high-protein snowskin mooncake from a culinary dietitian

AThe full moon in September is common in many Asian cultures (China, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam and beyond) and marks one of the most important days of the year: the Mid-Autumn Festival.

“It’s right before the traditional harvest season and the date coincides with a full moon, making it an ideal time to gather with loved ones to give thanks, eat good food, and admire the moon together,” says Cindy Chou, RDN, a registered dietitian, chef, and founder of The sound of cooking.

One such delicacy that is an integral part of the festivities is the mooncake, which varies in style across countries and regions. For example, Chou says that Cantonese-style mooncakes often use a pastry crust and red bean paste as a sweet treat. In Taiwan (where Chou’s family is from), mooncake crusts are light, flaky, and resemble puff pastry.

But why does the moon, both in the sky and on your plate, hold such significance? “In Chinese and Taiwanese culture, round objects like a full moon and round mooncakes symbolize unity,” Chou explains. “Therefore, giving or sharing mooncakes with friends and family members symbolizes togetherness.”

Further down, Chou shares her own snow skin moon cake recipewhich she says is a modern take on the traditional mooncake. The benefits? “They’re easier to make at home, which allows you to customize them and be creative with the designs and fillings on the outside,” she says. Although it is a labor of loveit’s packed with flavors that caress the tongue, plus a decent dose of protein and fiber-rich vegetablesand even then.

Related Stories

Benefits of this snow skin mooncake recipe

This no-bake mooncake recipe for Mid-Autumn Festival is designed to be simple, even for beginners, as well as nutritious and adaptable. If you follow Chou’s recipe to perfection, you can expect to reap some nutritional benefits.

Her recipe features mung beans, a legume that contains both protein and fiber (7 grams and 7.6 grams per half cup, respectively).To research have shown that a higher intake of legumes may be associated with a lower risk of heart disease,” Chou explains. “Consuming legumes such as mung beans may also potential to lower LDL cholesterolalthough more research is needed.” The salted egg yolk also contributes to the total protein content. “(Each) not only adds 2.8 grams of protein to each mooncake, but also a layer of savory flavor that complements the subtle sweetness so well,” she continues.

And lastly, if you are lucky enough to be able to make and/or share these high protein snow skin mooncakes with family or other people you lovethen you are ready to take advantage of additional benefits such as:

PS If you want to put your own spin on this recipe, Chou encourages you to change things up to suit your taste. “You can experiment at home with different fillings, like a red bean paste filling,” she says. “Try using a larger pan to make mooncakes with extra filling for even more flavor and added fiber.”

High Protein Snowskin Mooncake Recipe

For 12 mooncakes (45 g each)

Ingredients

For the filling:
85 grams dried mung beans without skin, soaked in water for 6 hours or overnight
2/3 cup water
2 tablespoons rapeseed oil
35 grams of sugar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
12 salted duck egg yolks, thawed

For the peel/wrap:
50 grams of sweet rice flour, divided
35 grams of rice flour
25 grams of cornstarch
30 grams of sugar
135 grams of whole milk
15 grams sweetened condensed milk
20 grams of rapeseed oil
1/2 teaspoon matcha powder, optional

1. Make the filling and roast the sweet rice flour: Drain the soaked mung beans, rinse them and place them in a small oven dish. Add the water.
2. To steam, place a metal steamer rack inside a 14-inch or larger wok. Add water to the wok until it is just below the top of the steamer rack. Then place the baking dish with the mung beans and water on the steamer rack. Cover the wok with a domed lid and turn the heat to high until the water boils, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Steam for 20 minutes and turn off the heat. Alternatively, the mung beans can be cooked in a small 1.5-quart saucepan, covered.
3. While the mung beans are steaming, toast 15 grams of sweet rice flour in a small skillet over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes. Set aside for dusting the mooncakes.
4. Place the steamed mung beans in a medium (11-inch) nonstick skillet. Cook over medium heat until dry, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula, about 15 minutes. The filling will slowly smooth out and become paste-like. At this point, reduce the heat to low and continue stirring until the paste becomes doughy and no longer sticks to your spatula, about 20 minutes. Transfer the filling to a rectangular baking dish, spread evenly with a spatula, and cut the filling into 12 square portions. Cover and let cool for 10 minutes.
5. While the filling is cooling, prepare the snow skin dough.
6. Once the filling has cooled to the touch, weigh each piece on a kitchen scale. Each piece should weigh 15 grams. Roll each piece into a ball, set aside and cover.
7. Make the snow skin dough: Place the remaining 35 grams sweet rice flour, rice flour, cornstarch, and sugar in a medium microwave-safe mixing bowl and whisk until well combined.
8. Add the milk, condensed milk and canola oil to the bowl of dry ingredients and beat until the ingredients are well combined.
9. Cover the bowl with a microwave-safe plate and microwave for about 2 minutes or until the dough is mostly opaque and has a firm gel texture (note that the time may vary from microwave to microwave). Stir the dough with a spatula to help it cool faster.
10. Once cooled, knead the dough until smooth. Roll it out into a log shape using your palms, then cut into 12 portions. Weigh each portion on a kitchen scale. Each portion should weigh 20 grams. Roll each piece into a ball, set aside, and cover with plastic wrap.
11. Add color to the skin (optional): Sprinkle each piece of dough with matcha powder, fold the dough, knead it and repeat until the color is evenly distributed.

Assemble the mooncakes

1. Start by flattening a portion of the mung bean paste filling with the palm of your hand. Place a salted duck egg yolk in the center and wrap the paste around the yolk. Roll it gently between your palms to form a ball. Repeat this step for 11 more portions.
2. Place a portion of the snow skin dough on a flat surface and flatten it with the palm of your hand. Roll the dough out into 3-inch diameter wraps, with the edges slightly thinner than the center.
3. Place the filling in the center of the wrapper and gently fold the outer edges of the wrapper over the ball. Gently push the sides so that the wrapper sticks to the filling without any air pockets, then pinch the ends of the wrapper together to seal. Roll the mooncake into a ball.
4. Lightly dust the ball with the toasted sweet rice flour and place it in a 25g (smaller) mooncake pan, with the smooth side facing the stamping plate. Place the pan, opening side down, on a clean, flat surface and gently press down on the spring-loaded lever. Lift the pan while pressing down on the lever to release the mooncake. Keep covered in a container.
5. Repeat the above assembly steps for the remaining mooncakes. If necessary, clean the molds between uses with a toothpick.
6. Serve them directly with your favorite tea or give them as a gift to your loved ones.

If you have leftovers, Chou says the assembled mooncakes will keep for two to three days, covered and refrigerated. “The wrapper should remain soft, but it will lose some of its elasticity,” she notes. If you have extra mung bean paste filling in the meantime, it will keep for up to three months in an airtight container.