Ping Pei Mooncake Skin - 2011

Ping Pei Mooncakes

For years, I used to only make baked mooncakes because my attempts to make Ping Pei mooncakes [Snow Skin Mooncakes] have either failed or do not give good results.  Eventhough disappointed after many attempts, I continued to read up different recipes and even asked around.  I was very sad that some people are unwilling to really share their recipes and experiences although they claimed that their Ping Pei Mooncake is good and so simple to make.

Finally, with practice and some tips from the shops selling the mooncake ingredients, I managed to make 'Ping Pei Mooncake' with acceptable standards and appreciated by many of my friends and relatives.  One of my friend's son prefers to eat my Ping Pei instead of the well-known  brands in the market.  Whether it is that good, I do not know because I do not really eat them.  I just loved to make them and look at it, probably because of health reasons [too sweet].  

I supposed ingredients are about the same, it is the skill and mixing that produce soft and smooth ping pei skin.  Practice will get you right. 

Ingredients for Ping Pei Skin [dough weighs about 500 gm]
[makes 8-10 x 50 gm pieces depending on the thickness]

150 gm fried glutinous rice flour [kao fun] - sifted

110 gm icing sugar - sifted

50 gm shortening

1 tsp essence [lemon, rose etc] - optional

160 ml iced cold water
yellow, green, pink and chocolate colouring [optional], you can keep it plain or a single colour according to you own preference

Icing Sugar, Shortening and Kao Fun

Ping Pei dough divided into various colours

•  Mix together sifted flour and icing sugar, then add in shortening.
• Use rub in method to mix flour, sugar and shortening together into fine grains.
• Slowly and gradually add in ice cold water.  Mix well and knead with hand till  smooth.  Cover and leave to rest for 15 - 30 minutes.  [Notes - If making different colours, divide into a few portions and add in colouring, knead till well combined then rest the dough for 15-30 minutes]
• Divide dough into 8 or 10 equal portions [about 50 gm each].  Roll out 1 portion thinly into a circle that is large enough to wrap a ball of filling [about 110 gm] - depends on size of mould.  Coat filling with kao fun and wrap with ping pei dough.
• Press into mould dusted with kao fun.  Knock mould lightly to dislodge the mooncake.  Place in plastic mooncake tray and mooncake container.  Refrigerate before serving.

Notes :
- Various Ping Pei Fillings [can be mix and match to suit you preference]

[Most of the paste can be store bought or you can make your own.  I usually will buy most of the paste except some I need to mix prepare myself like 3, 5 and 6].  See next post for the recipe.
- You can make each Ping Pei in a single colour or any combination of colours according to your own  preference [please refer above photos on the combination].

Various combination of mooncake filling flavours

1. Pandan Lotus Seed Paste with Roasted Melon Seeds
2. Red bean Paste with Roasted Melon Seeds
3. Salty White Tau Sar Paste with Cream Cheese
4. Oreo Chocolate Lotus Paste [from Happy Flour]
5. Durian Paste [see recipe posting on Durian Paste Filling]

See this post for preparation of the above fillings.