from Mixed-Up Mooncakes
You can make mixed-up mooncakes just like Ruby’s! Be safe…always cook with an adult. Don’t touch sharp knives or hot stoves and ovens. And always wash your hands before and after cooking.
Ingredients
For the dough:
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon water
2 tablespoons honey
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 egg (for egg wash)
For the filling:
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ cup honey
1 tablespoon lemon rind
¾ cup dried dates, chopped (figs or raisins work well too)
1 cup ground walnuts
Directions
In a small bowl, spoon the baking soda into the water and mix until it dissolves.
In a large bowl, stir the honey, oil, flour, and baking soda mixture together.
Knead the dough until it is soft and set aside for 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350F (175C).
Get the filling ready by mixing all the ingredients in another large bowl.
On a floured surface, roll the dough into a thick rope and cut it into 12 equal pieces.
Roll each piece into a ball and flatten it with your hand to make a circle the size of your palm.
Add a large spoonful of the filling into the center of each dough circle, wrap it and pinch the seams, then roll the dough back into a ball shape.
Place the ball into a mooncake mold and press, then transfer it to a baking sheet. If you don’t have a mold, you can press it into a round cookie cutter, like Ruby does.
Bake the mooncakes on a baking sheet for 8 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven.
Beat the egg in a bowl to make the egg wash and brush the mooncakes with it. If you don’t have a brush, you can use a balled-up paper towel.
Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake the mooncakes for another 4 minutes until golden brown.
Let cool for 15 minutes, then enjoy!
Nada’s Tips & Tricks: Play around with the filling to suit your family’s tastebuds. Kids have fun with the kneading part of this recipe so get them involved!
Mixed-Up Mooncakes Text copyright © 2024 by Christina Matula and Erica Lyons; Illustrations copyright © 2024 by Tracy Subisak. Published by Quill Tree Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved. https://www.harpercollins.ca/9780063254718/mixed-up-mooncakes/
