This recipe combines a traditional white lotus filling with my new found love of sablé as mooncake pastry. The crisp, butter cookie crust provides wonderful contrast to the creamy lotus paste. You could make your own white lotus paste but I love going to the local Chinese bakery to ask if they sell their housemade lotus paste.
Makes 16mooncakes
Ingredients
Sablé Dough
113g(1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
30g(1/4 cup) icing sugar
1egg yolk
165g(1 cup + 6 tbsps) all-purpose flour
1/4tspsalt
Filling
480gsweetened white lotus paste, store bought or homemade (sweetened bean paste will work too)
Egg Wash
1egg yolk
1tbspwater
Instructions
Sablé Dough
In a bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat butter and icing sugar on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add egg yolk and mix until smooth.
Add flour and salt to the bowl and mix on low speed until combine, about 1 minute.
Divide the dough into 16 equal (20-grams) portions, using a scale if possible. Set aside
Assembly
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Divide the white lotus filling into 16 equal pieces (use a digital scale if you have one) and roll each portion of filling into a ball.
Working with one piece at a time, roll the sablé dough into a smooth ball. Place the dough ball on a lightly floured work surface, gently flatten with the palm of your hand, and roll out to a 3-inch round with a rolling pin.
Place a portion of the filling onto the rolled out dough, pull up the edges, and pinch together to seal. If the dough is too sticky, flour your hands when assembly.
Place the filled cake inside the mooncake mold, seam side down, and gently press down with the plunger until it evenly fills the mold. Remove the plunger and transfer the mooncake onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pastry and lotus filling.
Brush the tops of each cake with egg wash.
Bake mooncakes until golden, about 20 – 25 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.