Mid-Autumn Festival Mooncake Recipe

I went to a Chinese American elementary school for awhile when I lived in San Francisco. It was a long time ago but I still have a deep appreciation for the culture and I still remember how much fun it was to take trips to China Town with my mom. Mooncakes are one of the many treats that I remember fondly. Mooncakes are traditional Chinese pastries that are typically eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival, a holiday celebrating the full moon and harvest. These round or square cakes are filled with various sweet or savory fillings and are often beautifully decorated with intricate designs on the top. Mooncakes are usually shared among family members as a symbol of unity and togetherness during the festival. I can’t wait to share with an amazing recipe for Red Bean Mooncakes- my favorite!

The mother-daughter duo Hsiao-Ching Chou and Meilee Riddle are releasing a brand new book on December 3rd- “Feasts of Good Fortune.” This book takes readers on a journey through the rich tapestry of Chinese time-honored celebrations. Chou and Riddle provide uncomplicated recipes, heartfelt anecdotes, and stunning photography, that invite readers to learn about and experience these festivals. They provide menus to help your prepare for traditional events from Mid-Autumn Festival to Lunar New Year. I am grateful to have received permission to share a preview recipe for mooncakes from their new book with you here. Feasts of Good Fortune is now available for pre-order through my affiliate Amazon link.

When is Mid-Autumn Festival? It will be celebrated Tuesday, September 17, 2024. But don’t worry, you can enjoy mooncakes anytime and I won’t tell!

FLAKY RED BEAN MOONCAKES 酥皮紅豆月餅

Recipe and Photo CREDITS: “Feasts of Good Fortune: 75 Recipes for a Year of Chinese American Celebrations, from Lunar New Year to Mid-Autumn Festival and Beyond”, by Hsiao-Ching ChouOn Tour and Meilee Chou Riddle. Published by Sasquatch Books, Dec 03, 2024.

This style of mooncake has a flaky crust and is unlike the more commonly recognized Cantonese-style mooncakes. You can fill it with sweet or savory ingredients. Red bean paste is our go-to flavor—without inclusions, such as egg yolk. We like to keep it straightforward. You will have leftover red bean paste that you can use for other purposes. To add a design to the top of the mooncakes, you’ll need a cotton swab or rounded makeup applicator swab or a food-safe fine-tipped paintbrush.

Use my affiliate Amazon link to order the red bean paste or find it at an Asian store near you.

How To Make Mooncakes

First Make Mooncake Dough

■ In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup of the flour with the butter. Using a pastry cutter or your hands, work the butter into the flour, making sure the butter gets evenly distributed. If you’re using your hands, you can rub the flour-coated pieces of butter between your fingers to mash them a bit. But don’t go overboard, because you want the butter to stay cold. Stir in 3 tablespoons of the water, then gather the mixture together to form a ball. Knead it a few times to smooth it out. Set aside.

■ In another bowl, combine the remaining 1 cup flour with the vegetable shortening. Similar to the butter dough, use a pastry cutter or your hands to work the shortening into the flour until there are no large chunks of shortening left. Stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons water, then gather the mixture together to form a ball. Knead a few times to smooth it out. Roll this dough into a rope that’s about 12 inches long. Set aside.

■ Dust your work surface with flour. Roll out the butter dough until you have a rectangle that’s about 12 by 6 inches. Place the rope of shortening dough across the middle of the rectangle, and wrap the butter dough around the shortening dough. Seal the seam and smooth it out by rolling the tube of dough a few times until you get a rope that’s about 20 inches long. Cut the dough into sixteen pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Place on a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.

Assemble Mooncakes

■ Press a piece of dough with your fingers or use a small rolling pin to roll out the dough to about 2 1⁄4 inches in diameter. Add about 1 teaspoon of red bean paste. If you get any on your fingers, be sure to wipe them clean before the next step. Gather the dough around the filling and seal the seam. It won’t look pretty, but that’s okay. Roll between your palms to smooth out the seam. Press gently between your palms to create a puck-like shape. Set on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Press down gently to flatten the puck as needed. Repeat with the remaining dough.

■ If you want to decorate the mooncakes, dip a cotton swab in the food-safe red dye mixture and dab a design on the tops of the mooncakes. It could be as simple as a few dots or a smiley face or something more elaborate. Usually, the designs on the mooncakes are decorative or they denote the filling.

■ Bake the mooncakes for 30 minutes, or until the bottom of the pastry is lightly browned. Let cool for a few minutes before trying to eat one. The filling will be very hot.

If you enjoy this recipe, don’t forget to check out the Feasts of Good Fortune cookbook. They do a great job at making traditional Chinese recipes accessible. I love how you don’t need mooncake molds for this mooncake recipe.

How To Serve Moon Cakes:

Mooncakes are usually served at room temperature, and some people also prefer to slightly warm or chill them depending on the type of filling. They are traditionally served with Chinese tea, such as jasmine, oolong, or pu-erh tea (a must-try, here is my affiliate link), which helps balance the sweetness of the filling. The tea enhances the experience and aids in digestion. Since mooncakes are rich and flavorful, can be cut into wedges for sharing. They are typically enjoyed slowly, with each bite savored during conversation with family or friends.

Printable Mooncakes Recipe Card