China Moon Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• Whisk all ingredients together until well blended.
• Store in clean glass jar in refrigerator. If sauce separates, just whisk it to emulsify.
• Wonderful with cold roast beef, lamb and chicken dishes. Spread on steamed fish and foods off the grill. Great on cheese sandwiches!

Steps:

• Toast the whole spices together in a small dry skillet over low heat. Stir and adjust the heat so spices toast without burning. Stir until the spices are totally fragrant and the fennel seeds and lighter colored spices are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in ground spices.
• Use a spice grinder or coffee grinder to grind the mix finely.
• Store in a tightly covered glass jar.
• May use in seasoning marinades and sauces, mayonnaises, chopped meat mixes, sauteed veggies and pastas. Enjoy!

Steps:

• DO NOT RINSE THE BLACK BEANS.
• Choose oranges with unblemished skins which have been kept as free as possible of waxes and dyes, then wash them carefully with a light liquid detergent, hot water, and an abrasive sponge. The effort may seem excessive, but it makes a difference. So too will a sharp vegetable peeler which will pare off the flavorful skin (zest) and not the bitter white pith.
• Wash the oranges as described above. Peel away the thin layer of orange zest (leaving behind the white pith) and finely mince it.
• Combine the chopped zest with all of the remaining ingredients in a heavy, non-aluminum 2- to 2-1/2 qt saucepan. Bring to 225* to 250*F on a deep-fry thermometer over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, and let bubble for 15 minute Remove from the heat and let stand till cold or possibly overnight.
• Scrape the oil and seasonings ("goop") into a glass container, cover, and store at cold room temperature.
• Menu Suggestions: Be creative with the "goop" made from the seasonings as well as the oil. A spoonful stirred into noodles or possibly meat loaf is a tasty revelation.

Steps:

• stir until sugar dissolves.

Steps:

• For the lotus paste: Place the dried lotus seeds in a medium bowl and cover with plenty of room temperature water. Let the seeds soak and rehydrate for at least 6 hours, and preferably overnight.
• Rinse the lotus seeds under cold water, then split them in half to remove and discard the green sprout in the center (they are very bitter). Transfer the seeds to a large pot and fill with plenty of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low and simmer until the seeds are tender enough to smash with a fork, about 1 hour. Drain well, then transfer the seeds to a food processor while they are still warm, add 3/4 cup sugar and puree until very smooth. (Add 1 to 2 tablespoons water if necessary to get a very smooth texture). Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl.
• Melt 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening and the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, then cook until caramelized and deep golden, about 5 minutes. Add the lotus puree and cook, stirring continuously, until most of the moisture has been cooked out and the puree is similar in texture to thick mashed potatoes, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the remaining 1/3 cup vegetable shortening, then continue to cook, stirring continuously, until all of the shortening has fully incorporated and the paste is very thick, glossy and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 6 minutes more. (The final lotus paste should be amber brown in color and almost stretchy in texture.) Transfer to a medium bowl and let cool completely.
• For the mooncake dough: Meanwhile, whisk together the golden syrup, alkaline water and vegetable oil in a large bowl until combined. Add the cake and all-purpose flours, then stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Gently knead the dough until it comes together completely, then wrap in plastic wrap and set aside to rest, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Divide the lotus paste into 12 equal pieces (each about 2 1/2 tablespoons) and roll into golf ball-size balls. Place on a plate and chill in the refrigerator, 20 to 30 minutes. The colder the balls, the easier it will be to shape the mooncakes.
• Roll about 1 tablespoon of the mooncake dough into a ball, then place between 2 pieces of parchment paper that have been lightly dusted with flour. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough to about 1/8 inch thick and 3 1/2 to 4 inches wide. Place one of the lotus paste balls in the center of the dough, and shape the dough around it, pinching the edges to seal. Roll the ball in your hands to smooth the exterior.
• Place the assembled ball in a plastic 2-inch wide miniature mooncake press mold, then turn the press upright on your work surface. Press the plunger down until you feel resistance, then lift the mooncake mold off the table and use the plunger to carefully press the mooncake out. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, then refrigerate while you make the remaining mooncakes in the same manner.
• Bake the mooncakes until the tops are no longer shiny and the dough has just set, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes. Whisk the egg together with a splash of water in a small bowl, then brush over the tops and sides of each mooncake. Return to the oven and bake until deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let cool on the baking sheet 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Enjoy fresh or store in an airtight container for 2 days (they'll get shinier as they sit).

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. mix well.
• roll desired sized balls with your palms and press them onto a cookie sheet. they not expand that much, so be specific.
• bake at 350F for 13 - 15 minutes, depending on your preference.

Steps:

• Stir the golden syrup together with 3 tablespoons of peanut oil in a small saucepan over low heat until the mixture becomes very warm, and the syrup is easy to stir, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the cake flour, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir in the golden syrup until a smooth dough forms. Wrap well with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 4 hours.
• Meanwhile, combine the adzuki beans and water in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the beans are tender, about 1 hour. Drain and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Puree the beans in a blender or food processor.
• Heat 1/4 cup of peanut oil over medium heat in the saucepan the beans were boiled in. Stir in the pureed beans along with the white sugar. Cook and stir until the bean paste clings to the stirring spoon, 10 to 20 minutes. Stir in the wheat starch. Scrape into a mixing bowl. Chill in the refrigerator until cold.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.
• Divide the dough and the filling each into 8 equal portions and roll into balls. Press the dough balls between your palms to form circles large enough to envelop a filling ball. Place a ball of the filling onto the center of each pastry circle, wrap the pastry around the filling, and pinch the edges together. Roll the mooncakes in the all-purpose flour to coat; shake off excess. Place the mooncakes seam-side-down onto the prepared baking sheet and press to flatten slightly.
• Mist lightly with water. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes. Remove the mooncakes from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Brush with the beaten egg yolk, applying more of the yolk to to tops than to the sides. Return to the oven and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes more. Cool completely before serving.