Jennifer's Autumn Moon Cake recipe

Jennifer adapted this to be kid approved and not too time consuming. However, it does include dairy products (and coconut) so it might not work in all schools due to allergy concerns. At least the dough is similar to the recipe on Yan Can Cook. Or, go to the egg-free, dairy-free recipe if you need it.

Autumn Moon Cakes
Crust
4 c all purpose flour
3/4 c dried milk powder (whiz in Cuisinart to fine powder if lumpy)
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1 1/4 c sugar
3/4 c unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temp
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Filling
1 12 oz jar apricot preserves
1 c chopped pitted dates
1 c flaked sweetened coconut
3/4 c raisins

Glaze, whisk together
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp. water

1. Sift flour, milk powder, baking powder, salt, set aside. Break eggs in large mixing bowl, add sugar and beat until mixture "ribbons" off the beaters, approx. 5 mins. Add melted butter, vanilla and dry ingredients to egg mixture. Mix to rough dough, turn out on lightly floured surface and knead briefly to smooth dough. Form dough into long roll and cut into 20 pieces.

2. Mix ingredients for filling (I found that this filling was more than enough and used what was left over for muffins)

3. Preheat to 375. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets or use silpat or parchment. Press 1 dough piece into a 3-4 inch circle making edges thinner and center thicker. Spoon a portion of filling into the center, about a Tbsp. Gather up edges of dough to enclose filling and pinch edges together to seal. Roll cake in a ball, flatten to a 3 in. round and press into a lightly floured moon cake mold (or a simple round cookie cutter).

You will need to refrigerate the dough and then refrigerate the formed cakes to hold any design from a moon cake mold. I used some decorative copper molds, but if the design isn’t deeply incised, it will not hold. This is the most time consuming part of the recipe - I don't preheat until I've made half the cakes.

4. Arrange cakes about 1 inch apart on baking sheet. Brush surface of cakes with egg/water glaze. You could also paint a design with red vegetable food coloring if you don’t over do the egg wash. Bake for 20 minutes ...maybe even 18 mins. until golden brown.

5. Variations – use chopped ginger to replace ¼ cup raisins and ginger puree to replace apricot preserves. Not traditional but really yummy and spicy.

6. If you hate coconut, replace with nuts, finely chopped but not ground.

Thanks Jennifer!

Story and handout

A colorfully illustrated story of the Autumn Moon Festival can be yours to use with your family or or at school.

The 8 page pdf file with lots of pictures is based on the good work of Terry Garlock, who gave me permission to revise and make my own version. I also have a two page (or 2 sides on one page) handout that can be used for educational purposes if you are interested.

Just email me for a copy at mus-mandarin@wubison.com and I will email you the .pdf files.

Need a Lunar Calendar?

I have a pdf file that you can print showing the months of the year and how the phases of the moon line up with it.

Just email mus-mandarin@wubison.com and let me know if you need one.

Almost a week away. . .

I can not believe that Mid-Autumn Festival is just a bit over one week away. This year 8/15 (lunar) falls on October 6, 2006. Are you ready? Our house is not . . . yet.

Staten Island Botanical Gardens Autumn Moon Festival

Staten Island Botanical Gardens Autumn Moon Festival,
September 9th, 6:30-9 pm
NY Chinese Scholar’s Garden

Chinese Theatre Works, Taiko drums, calligraphy, paper cuts, mooncakes, jasmine tea, and traditional Chinese food. Admission: $8 adults, $5 children 12 and under. Staten Island Botanical Garden 1000 Richmond Terrace Staten Island, NY 10301 718-273-8200 x 1007 sibgmarketing@aol.com  

You can order Moon cakes now from Chinasprout

Chinasprout has already started shipping mooncakes for this yeseason.

Moon Cakes  from ChinaSprout
http://www.chinasprout.com/shop/F001

Chinese Mid-Autumn Moon Festival will be on October 6, 2006 and many families plan to celebrate this traditional Chinese holiday with their families and friends just like Chinese do. To help families enjoy this traditional way of celebration – eating moon cakes while looking at the full moon-ChinaSprout offers FRESHLY baked mooncakes from a premium New York Chinatown baker. Our moon cakes come in four different flavors, packaged in a very unique collectable tin.

Choose from the following flavors:

Red bean paste (sweet)
White lotus paste with egg yolk (sweet)
Mixed nuts (sweet)
Mixed nuts and ham (sweet/salty)

Each order includes four moon cakes. Please specify your preference of flavors in any combination when you order in the ORDERING INSTRUCTIONS. If you don't specify your preference, we will offer you one cake each flavor. Moon cakes can be kept two months without refrigeration.

4 Pieces
Our Price: US$19.95

Please note that they will ship your moon cakes orders ONLY on following dates: September 1, 8, 15, 22, 29.  

Chinese Culture Festival in NYC mid September

I am not a member - just passing on the information -
China Institute co-sponsors a major Chinese Cultural Festival organized by the Asian Culture Center. The festival is a month long event starting in mid-September.

In addition to many exciting exhibits, the festival will provide numerous lectures and movies.  The festival will feature two main events, the first of which will be a theatrical performance by the Kunming Theatrical Company at the Tribeca Performing Art Center on September 15th at 8:00 p.m.

Two ticket options are currently on sale for the NY performance at mezzanine level, section 3 @ $30.00 each or sections 1 & 2 @ $20.00 each.  A second event, a Chinese Cultural Carnival, will be held on September 16th at Battery Park in New York City, featuring outdoor performances and cultural art. 

All events are free of charge to the public with the exception of the theatrical performance held at the Tribeca Performing Art Center the day before.  They have limited number of tickets available for purchase. To purchase your ticket(s), please send a check made out to Asian Culture Culture to:

China Institute
125 East 65th Street
New York, NY 10021
Attn: Renwen Society

You may visit http://www.acclub.org/en/festival.asp for more details on all of the events for The Chinese Cultural Festival 2006.