Easy Snowy Rabbit-shaped Mooncake recipe

Mid-Autumn Festival (known as Mooncake Festival) is one of the most important traditional celebrations in China and several other countries across Asia. The occasion is celebrated by delicious dinners and gathering to appreciate the moon – as, on the eighth month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar, the moon is believed to be at its brightest and fullest. Mooncake, a round-shaped delicacy that envelopes a sweet filling, is a must-have during this festival.

Like traditional mooncakes, snowy mooncakes are famous for their non-baked, mochi-feel texture. This much-loved, trendy rabbit-shaped mooncake recipe was inspired by the jade rabbit – the main character in ancient Mid-Autumn stories and a symbol of the pureness and brightness of the moon.

Ingredients

For the dough

• Glutinous rice flour 33g
• Rice flour 33g
• Wheat starch 20g
• Icing sugar 23g
• Whole Milk 150g
• Melted unsalted butter 20g

For decoration

• Pink food colouring
• Sesame

For the filling

• Green tea paste 250g (You can find different fillings in Asian grocery stores. You can also use Nutella, cream cheese, date paste, or anything you like that can be shaped into balls)

Other

• Cooked glutinous rice flour 15g

Method

Prepare the dough

1. Combine the glutinous rice flour, rice flour, wheat starch and sugar

2. Mix in melted butter and milk and sift the mixture into a smooth, runny batter

3. Steam the mixture for 25 mins

4. While the dough is steaming, cut the green tea paste into 25g piece, shape into balls

5. Once the batter is cooked and cool enough to touch, knead the batter into a dough ball

6. Chill the dough for 15 mins, and cut it into 25g pieces, shape them into balls

7. Take one of the dough ball and mix in pink food colour to make the rabbit ‘blush’ (optional)

8. Leave one dough ball aside to be used for rabbit tail

Shape the mooncake

1. Roll the dough ball with a small red dough into a thin wrapper*

*add a very thin layer of cooked glutinous rice flour on both hands if the dough is too sticky

2. Place the thin wrapper between your thumb and forefinger, then place the filling in the middle

3. Push the wrapper upwards gently to seal the fillings 

4. Place the side with red colour on top

Make the rabbit

1. Use a chopstick to press gently on the dough to make rabbit ears

2. Use sesame as rabbit eyes

3. Use the rest of the dough to make rabbit tail

4. Your mooncakes are ready to be served!