Traditional Mooncakes (月饼) — Lotus Paste with Salted Egg Yolk

Name: Traditional Mooncakes (月饼) — Lotus Paste with Salted Egg Yolk
Total time: 300 min
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: Crust: 200g all-purpose flour, 140g golden syrup, 50ml neutral oil, 1 tsp alkaline water (lye water); Filling: 600g lotus seed paste (store-bought or homemade), 8 salted duck egg yolks; Egg wash: 1 egg yolk + 1 tbsp water

Prep:300 min

Cook:300 min

Serves:2–4

Difficulty:Medium

Mooncakes (月饼, yuè bǐng) are the centrepiece of the Mid-Autumn Festival — rich, dense pastries with a thin, tender golden crust encasing a sweet lotus seed paste filling with a whole salted duck egg yolk embedded in the centre. The yolk represents the full moon. Making mooncakes from scratch is a multi-day project that requires patience and precision, but the result — warm, freshly baked mooncakes with their impossibly thin crust and complex filling — is incomparably better than store-bought.

Mooncakes have been exchanged during the Mid-Autumn Festival for over 700 years. They symbolise reunion and are shared among family members while gazing at the full moon.

Ingredients

• Crust: 200g all-purpose flour, 140g golden syrup, 50ml neutral oil, 1 tsp alkaline water (lye water)
• Filling: 600g lotus seed paste (store-bought or homemade), 8 salted duck egg yolks
• Egg wash: 1 egg yolk + 1 tbsp water

Instructions

1
Make crust dough: mix golden syrup, oil, and alkaline water. Add flour and mix until a smooth dough forms. Wrap and rest for 2-4 hours (overnight is better).
2
Prepare egg yolks: rinse salted duck egg yolks, spray with Shaoxing wine, and bake at 180°C for 5 minutes. Cool completely.
3
Divide lotus paste into 8 portions (about 60g each). Flatten each portion, place an egg yolk in the centre, and wrap the paste around it.
4
Divide dough into 8 portions (about 45g each). Flatten each, place a filling ball in the centre, and wrap dough around it. Smooth the seams.
5
Dust mooncake mould with flour. Press each ball into the mould firmly, then eject onto a lined baking sheet.
6
Spray lightly with water. Bake at 180°C for 10 minutes. Remove, cool 10 minutes, brush with egg wash.
7
Return to oven and bake 10-15 more minutes until golden. Cool completely.
8
Store in an airtight container for 2-3 days before eating — this 'return oil' (回油) step makes the crust softer and glossier.

Pro Tips

💡The resting period for the dough is critical — at least 2 hours, ideally overnight. Under-rested dough cracks.
💡The 'return oil' step after baking is essential. Freshly baked mooncakes taste dry; after 2-3 days the crust becomes soft, glossy, and aromatic.
💡Work quickly when wrapping — the dough warms from your hands and becomes sticky.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is alkaline water and where do I find it?

Alkaline water (枧水, jiǎn shuǐ) gives the crust its tender texture and golden colour. Find it at Asian supermarkets. In a pinch, dissolve ¼ tsp baked baking soda in 1 tsp water.