The mooncake is an integral part of Mid-Autumn festival. So much that it’s endearingly called the Mooncake Festival! While I love the traditional baked ones, the snowskin ones are super easy to make – a must for any mochi enthusiast. This year, I decided to go with a strawberry surprise in the middle. Matcha and strawberry is such a dream combo, why not make a mooncake version?
Snowskin mooncakes also known as “ice-skin” or “snowy mooncakes,” first originated in Hong Kong in the 1960s. The idea was to create a mooncake with a soft, translucent, and slightly chewy skin, reminiscent of snow or ice. Growing up, they were such a treat because they were filled with ice cream – my favourites were taro and mango flavours!
If you don’t have a mooncake mold, you can easily find them online. You’ll be spoilt for choice at the range of designs! I opted for a traditional look, but there are designs from rabbits to beautiful flowers. You can also try making the bunny snowskin mooncakes which don’t need any type of molds.
Try your hand at making these modern snowskin mooncakes! If you don’t have matcha powder, you can still go ahead and make the custard filling. For tips on mooncakes, check out this IG reel. There’s certainly a lot I learnt making my first batch of snowskin mooncakes.
No need to wait for Mid-Autumn Festival to roll around, these snowskin mooncakes make for beautiful treats at any time of the year. They’re especially delightful to gift to those who haven’t tried mooncakes before. Tag @ultimateomnoms and I’ll be sure to share your creations on the socials.
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl apart from the butter
- Using a small saucepan, heat the mixture over medium heat while whisking continuously
- As the mixture starts to thicken, use a rubber spatula to smooth out the custard and flatten any big lumps
- Once the custard firms into a ball, remove from the heat
- Add the butter and use the spatula to knead until fully incorporated
- Remove from the pan and wrap the custard in gladwrap. Leave to cool completely in the fridge for about an hour
- Add all the ingredients in a microwaveable bowl and whisk until smooth
- Cover the bowl and microwave for 1 min
- Take it out and stir
- Put it back in and microwave in 30 sec increments until the liquid is absorbed
- Cool for a few min until the snowskin dough is able to be touched
- Knead the dough by hand until it becomes bouncy and smooth
- Divide the dough into thirds
- Colour each third accordingly with matcha powder and pink food colouring, leaving one third uncoloured
- For a 50g mooncake mold, divide the snowskin and custard into 25g balls accordingly
- Each snow skin ball should have a third of each colour. Make sure not to knead too hard or the colours will merge
- Wrap each strawberry with the custard filling
- Flatten the mooncake dough and wrap it around the custard, rolling to form a smooth ball
- Dust the ball and mooncake mold lightly with glutinous rice flour
- Gently use the mooncake mold to press the design onto the mooncake
- Decorate with gold leaf and a dusting of gold lustre dust if desired (optional)
- Repeat with the other mooncake and custard balls
- Enjoy! These are best served on the day, and will still remain soft and chewy the following day. If refrigerated overnight, allow to soften at room temperature before eating
