This year, I decided to try new recipes for moon cake dough and filling. There are two types of recipes for dough. One is with invert sugar syrup and less oil. One is without syrup but with more oil. Both recipes taste like the typical northern style moon cake. The second one tastes more crumbly. I personally think both taste fine, but the one with syrup and less oil is much easier to handle. So I decide the first dough recipe is my top choice.

The two filling recipes have different ratios of flour, nuts, and raisins. The second one has more nuts and also added sugar, peanut butter, sesame seeds, and a little bit of oil. My husband and I both liked second filling better.

Makes 12 small moon cakes (50g each)

Dough

Cake Flour	140g
Invert Sugar Syrup*	95g
Vegetable oil or canola oil	30g
Alkaline water*	4ml
Salt	pinch

Filling

Toasted sticky rice flour*	40g
Chopped freshly roasted mixed nuts	150g
Toasted black sesame seeds	20g
Crunchy peanut butter	30
Dried fruit (raisins/dates/prume/cranberry)	40g
Sugar	15g
Honey	35g
Oil	12g
Water	2 tsp

Invert Sugar Syrup*

Sugar	500g
Water	200g
Lemon juice	60g

Put everything in a pot that can tolerate acid. Bring it to boil, then cook for 30 minutes in low heat.
Do not stir while cooking to avoid the sugar water stick on the side of the pot.
Near to the end, measure the temperature. When it’s around 255F degrees, let it cook for another 1-2 minutes. Remove it from the stove, let it cool.
Wait for a day to use it.

Alkaline water*

Bake enough amount of baking soda in 350F oven for more than 10 minutes.
Mix the baked baking soda and water (1:3).
Keep the rest for later use.

*Toasted Sticky Rice Flour**

There are different ways to make toasted sticky rice. For a small amount, pan-fry is quick and easy. For a bigger amount, steaming is more convenient.

Pan-fry: Stir fry the sticky rice flour in a non-stick pan in low heat until the color turns to light yellow.
Steam: Put the sticky rice flour in a bowl that can fit in a steamer. Wrap it with plastic wrap. Poke some holes in the wrap. Then steam it for 20-30 minutes.

Shape

Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Measure 30g filling and for it to a ball.
Measure 20g dough. Gently flatten the dough. Press the center of the dough to a small bow. Place the filling on the top.
Wrap the filling and slowly push the dough to cover the filling.
Dust the cake with flour/rice flour.
Use the small moon cake mold to shape the cake.

Bake

Bake the moon cakes under 400F for 5 minutes. Brush a thin layer of egg on the surface including sides.
Turn the heat down to 350F, bake another 5 minutes. Brush egg again.
Put it back to oven and bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.