Durian Jelly Mooncake......

I am just crazy in making mooncakes the past few days as I could not make any in 2010 because my mother in law had pass away end of August that year and according to Chinese custom no baking or any celebration is allowed.

Yesterday I made my third type of mooncake, that is the more popular ones made of jelly called jelly mooncake. The ingredients are simple but more effort and time comsuming in preparing the fillings and moulding it.

Due to popular demand of recipes, I like to share mine here:-



Ingredients for durian paste fillings:-( makes about 22 mini mooncakes like in my pics)

(A)
60 g mashed lotus pastes
200 ml thick coconut milk ( I use one box fr supermarket)
50 ml water
60 g blended durian pulp ( I blend with some coconut milk)
1  1/2 tsp agar agar powder
a pinch of salt

(B)
50 ml UHT milk
1/2 tsp durian essence
few drops of coloring of yr choice

To prepare durian fillings:-

Mix ingredients A together in a saucepan and bring to boil stirring continuously to break the lumps to a smooth paste. When it comes to a boil lower heat  and add ingredient B, stir for a minute til you see it begins to bubble, switch off heat and pour into a 16 inch square tin to cool down and set.

When fillings is set it is ready to be moulded according to the size of your plastic mould. Mine is mini ones so I use a round metal cookie cutter. Place aside the moulded fillings and prepare the jelly skin.

Ingredients for jelly skin:-  make another same amount for the toppings.

450 ml water
60 g sugar
2 pandan knotted
2  1/2 tsp agar agar powder

1 tbsp condensed milk
50 ml thick coconut milk
a few drops of coloring of yr choice


To prepate jelly skin:-


Bring the first four ingredients  to a boil. Lower heat and add in the condensed milk and coconut milk, stirring continuously til mixture start to bubble. turn off heat immediately. Add coloring if necessary and mix well.

Pour about 1/2 cm of jelly skin mixture into jelly moulds. Let it cool til almost 3/4 set, then place a piece of durian filling in the centre of mould.

Top up with jelly skin mixture and let it set completely before chilling in fridge for a further 30 mins. Then it is ready to unmould and keep refrigerated in a container til ready to serve.

Soft and Creamy Durian Mooncake....

Mooncake season is here again. So it is time to make some mooncakes. Mooncakes are no longer confined to the traditional bake ones with lotus pastes and  salted egg yolks. There are so many creations and flavors that have been churn up in the market of mooncake business.

I for one could not be left out experimenting in new flavors with our own Malaysian king of fruits, the ever popular love it or hate it durians. With durian season just ending, I still have some frozen ones in my freezer. So the idea of a durian mooncake pops up when I saw a recipe by Debbie Teoh from Flavors magazine.

It turns out really creamy  and  soft,  melting in your mouth. If you really like durians you would love this mooncake with its soft skin made with fresh pulp too. Here is the recipe to share.

 Durian Fillings: Makes about 12 to 15 mini mooncakes


2 1/2 tbsp green pea flour
2 tbsp custard powder
a pinch of salt
3 tbsp sugar
250ml thick coconut milk
2 egg yolks
200g fresh durian pulp


To prepare fillings:


Place all ingredients in a saucepan and mix. Bring mixture to boil, stirring continuously til mixture binds together. Remove from heat and cool before shaping into 40g balls. Keep refrigerated.

Making the durian fillings.................


 Snow skin ingredients:


150g cooked glutinous rice flour (koh fun)
50g icing sugar
pinch of salt
60g shortening
120g fresh durian pulp
50ml iced water


To prepare snow skin:


Sieve koh fun, icing sugar and salt into a mixing bowl. Work the shortening in with your fingers til mixtures resembles breadcrumbs. Add durian pulp and enough cold water to form a soft and pliable dough. 
Slightly flatten 20g of the dough and press a ball of filling into the centre and wrap the skin around the filling. 


Press into mooncake mould. I bought a plastic one that could mould so easily unlike the traditional wooden ones where I have to knock the sides against a chopping board or table to dislodge it. This plastic ones need only to press and open up to get a nice pattern. 

Pressing the balls into moulds......

Repeat with rest of the skin and fillings, then refrigerate the mooncakes until ready to serve.



Note: For those who would like to make mooncake jelly I have some recipes here and here.

Mooncake Jelly- 2009

Verdict:- My mooncake jelly did not turn out too well this year 'coz of the quality of the agar agar powder used. It is too mushy and soft. I still prefer the Happy Grass brand which I could not find here in Penang. Almost half of it has its skin sticking to the bottom of the mould. Will remember to use a good brand for making the skin next time.

Its been a couple of years I have not been making these little desserts for the mid-autumn festivals due to ill health. But this time I am adamant to make it eventhough I am not feeling very good lately due to my RA. Not to miss another year of sharing my pretty jellies in the form of mooncake or rather to satisfy my cooking instinct I dig out some lotus seeds from my fridge to make some delicious lotus paste for the fillings. It takes some time to cook the paste but worth the effort as I used olive oil and honey to sweeten it for a more healthy paste.

After making the paste, I blended some frozen leftover durians and some mangos to make two kinds of fillings. The past years I make fillings with cream cheese but this time I try using lotus paste which is just as nice. Would love to share with readers my recipe.

Lotus paste:-

200g lotus seed
150g sugar
150ml olive oil
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp condensed milk
a pinch of salt

Method:

Soak lotus seed for about 30 mins. Then cook in pot of water til soft and tender.(about 30 mins). Strain and leave to cool. Blend it with some water into a smooth paste. Melt half the sugar in a wok or pan to caremelize it til golden brown. Add in blended lotus paste, olive oil and remaining sugar. Stir fry over medium heat til paste is smooth and does not stick to side of pan. ( about 30 min ). Stir in honey and condensed milk and mix well til well blended into paste. Cool and its ready to be used.

Lotus seeds........

Stirring the lotus pastes in wok...........

Durian fillings:-
(A)
120g mashed lotus paste
400ml santan (2 boxes low fat santan)
80ml water
120g blended durian flesh ( I blend it with a little of the santan)
1 tbsp agar agar powder
1/8 tsp salt

(B)
100ml milk
1/8tsp durian essense (optional)
few drops of yellow coloring

Method:

Mix A and bring to boil then add B and mix well. Strain mixture into a square patty tin of 20cm square or round tart moulds if you are using large jelly mooncake moulds.

Cooking durian fillings......

Pour fillings into pan to cool, then cut or mould into desired shape...

For the mango fillings the method and ingredients are the same except use blended mangos instead of durians. For mango add in mango essense.

Using a cookie cutter to cut out the fillings to fit the round mould.

Mooncake jelly in mould........

Mooncake Skin:-

1 tbsp agar agar powder
500ml water
4 pandan leaves, knotted
80g sugar
2 tbsp condensed milk

Mix the above and bring to boil. Add in the color of your choice.

For the method of preparation please refer to my other jelly mooncake posting here and here.

Happy Mooncake Festival.....

As tomorrow is mid autumn festival or mooncake festival for the Chinese I had yet to make any mooncake jelly which I usually do every year. Due to my condo renovation here and rushing round town buying lightings and furnishing keeps me away from the kitchen most of the time. But I still do have some mooncakes given by friends and relatives to have a bite in. These days they come pack in beautiful boxes which could be recycle for other uses........



These are given by MIL .She never fail to buy us a box every year eventhough she is old and frail......




These were bought buy Janet .............

These sugar free ones are from Taiwan at rm6+ per small piece comes in heart shaped boxes.

A lotus paste mooncake with nuts and salted egg yolk....


These cute and tiny ones were given by niece Jocelyn. The fillings are red bean paste with melon seeds.


This expensive jelly mooncake with birdnest was bought by son H at rm 16.90 per piece for his dear mummy. I reprimand him that he should have ask me to make one instead of spending his pocket money on such an expensive item. But anyway it is the thoughts that counts and I am no where in my circumstances to make any this year. See my last year 's creation here.

Mango Jelly Mooncake.......just in time........

Mango jelly mooncake...................................

i had wanted to make this mango jelly mooncake this mid autumn festival and i bought a packet of mango from the supermarket sometime last week. Since then i was so sick from my flu virus i could not do or cook anything. But today i push myself to make it even though i am still not fully recovered because the packet of mango will not keep for long and also because tomorrow is the mooncake festival and i would not miss my chance of trying out this jelly mooncake!(or else i have to wait until next year)

For mango filling:(makes 9-10 rounds)

1 cup water

60 gm sugar

2 tsp agar-agar powder

1 tbsp condensed milk

60 gm mango puree

40 gm fresh mango cut into small cubes

white jelly skin:(makes 9-10 rounds)

3 1/2 cups water

140 gm sugar

4 pandan leaves knotted

5 tsp agar-agar powder

2 tbsp condensed milk

1/2 cup thick coconut milk

For the filling i boiled together water,sugar and jelly powder. Once mixture start to boil , turn off heat and add in condensed milk,mango puree, and mango cubes. Stir and pour into tart moulds to set.

Set mango filling in tart mould.....................................

Prepared mango fillings......................................................................

mango jelly mooncake set in plastic mould...........................................

For the white skin i boiled together the first four ingredients. Then lower heat and add condensed milk and coconut milk. Stir continuosly til mixture start to bubble and turn off heat. Pour a 1/2 cm layer of jelly skin mixture into round jelly mooncake mould. Let it cool til 3/4 set. Then place a prepared mango filling in the centre of the mould. Top up with the jelly skin mixture and let it set completely before chilling in the fridge. Unmould mango jelly mooncake and keep refrigerated til ready to serve.

Jelly Mooncake with cheesy fillings..................

Since mid-autumn festival is just around the corner, I have yet to make a mooncake or rather a jelly mooncake which i much prefer to the baked lotus paste ones. It has been raining cats and dogs these few days and anything jelly-like will make everybody shiver. But I would like to share my previous creations with my readers.


Black Forest Cherry Cheese mooncake.....................................


See the pitted cherries inside the cheese fillings..........................



Cherry Cheese fillings (make 5-6)

3 1/2 tbsp water
2/3 cup UHT milk
50gm sugar
1 tsp agar-agar powder
50gm cream cheese
10 pitted cherries(from a can), drain on absorbent paper
round tart moulds

Method:
Bring the first four ingredients to boil. Add in softened cheese and stir continuously with a hand whisk.Turn off heat once mixture starts to bubble and pour in round tart moulds. Place two pitted cherries in the mould and allow to set completely before chilling in the fridge for 30 minutes.


Cherry Syrup Skin (makes 50)

2 1/2 tsp agar-agar powder
1  3/4 cup water
70gm sugar
4 tbsp cherry syrup
1/2 tsp red colouring
round jelly mooncake moulds

Bring the first 3 ingredients to a boil. Add the cherry syrup and colouring and bring to a quick boil. Turn off the heat. pour 1/2 cm layer of of cherry syrup skin mixture into the moulds and allow to cool until it is almost set (3/4 set). Place prepared cheese fillings in the centre of the mould. Fill up with cherry syrup skin mixture and allow to set completely(about 20 minutes) before chilling in the fridge for another 30 minutes. Unmould the mooncakes and keep refrigerated until ready to serve. (adapted from Flavours magazine-recipes by Debbie Teoh)