Day 125: If my needlearts storage spaces are crammed with devices which would mystify many people, my kitchen is only slightly less endowed. I do not pretend to be a knowledgeable cook or a good one, but what I make, I make well (breads, for example). Most of the odd objects in my cupboards and drawers are somehow dough-related: rosette irons, krumkake forms, fondant cutters, etc. Perhaps I've leaned that direction because I like the feel and energy involved in manipulating doughs. In any event, the pandemic has driven me to broaden my skills, particularly in the area of Chinese foods which I enjoy greatly. Thus, I've decided to take a great leap to try my hand at mooncakes.
From what I gather (and admittedly, I'm out of my depth here), there are at least two basic types of mooncake: baked and snowskin. The latter is purportedly easier to make and requires fewer specialized ingredients. Snowy mooncakes are a fairly modern invention. The traditional mooncake is baked, and may be filled with anything from sweetened red-bean paste to combinations of nuts and seeds. In either case, a mooncake mold like the one shown above will be needed if the end result is to look like those found in Chinese bakeries. They are most often offered for sale during the Moon Festival in autumn, but may be available at other times as well. Once I have all the ingredients in hand, my first attempt will be custard-filled snowy mooncakes. The YouTube videos make it look easy. Famous last words, right?
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