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Legend of Moon Cake Mooncakes have played a central role in Moon Festival traditions. Once, according to Chinese legend, mooncakes helped bring about a revolution. The time was the Yuan dynasty (AD 1280-1368), established by the invading Mongolians from the north. The Mongolians subjugated the Han Chinese.
According to one Chinese folk tale, a Han Chinese rebel leader named Liu Fu Tong devised a scheme to arouse the Han Chinese to rise up against the ruling Mongols to end the oppressive Yuan dynasty. He sought permission from Mongolian leaders to give gifts to friends as a symbolic gesture to honor the longevity of the Mongolian emperor. These gifts were round mooncakes. Inside, Liu had his followers place pieces of paper with the date the Han Chinese were to strike out in rebellion -- on the fifteenth night of the eighth month.
Thus Liu got word to his people, who when they cut open the mooncakes found the revolutionary message and set out to overthrow the Mongols, thus ending the Yuan dynasty.
Make Your Own Moon Cakes
* Syrup for mooncake Ingredients: 1200g sugar;
lkg water;
1 lime - cut into 4 pieces, squeeze in the juice and put in the skin as well;
3 tbsp maltose. Method: 1.Put ingredients into a pot and bring to a boil till sugar has dissolved. Lower heat and continue to simmer till thick and syrupy.
2.Switch off the fire and add the maltose. Stir well to dissolve. Leave to cool and keep for use as syrup for the dough (skin).
* Mooncake Pastry Ingredients: 400g golden syrup;
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda;
1 1/2 tbsp lye water (kan sui);
100ml peanut oil;
550g flour. Method: Pour golden syrup, bicarbonate of soda and oil into a mixing bowl. Add in lye water and mix with a wooden spoon. Fold in flour gradually and stir to form a firm dough. Let dough rest for five hours.
* Lotus Paste Filling Ingredients: 500g lotus seeds (seong lin);
1 1/2 tbsp lye water (kan sui);
340ml peanut oil;
450g sugar;
1 tbsp maltose;
1 tbsp kao fun (cooked glutinous rice flour). Method: 1.Add lye water into lotus seeds, mix well and leave aside for 20 minutes. Pour in boiling water and cover up for 20-30 minutes. Strain and wash the lotus seeds to remove the skin.
2.Boil lotus seeds till soft. Put them into a blender with some water and blend into a thick paste.
3.Heat wok with a quarter portion of oil and a quarter portion of sugar. When sugar turns light brown, put in blended lotus paste and the remaining sugar. Stir constantly until paste is smooth and thick in consistency. Add in the rest of the oil gradually. Keep stirring the paste until thick. Lastly, stir in maltose and stir well to blend.
4.Sieve in 1 tbsp kao fun for a thicker and firmer consistency in the paste. Leave overnight before use.
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