Next, this is how I made the flaky pastry. Guess what? Coincidentally (or not???), this recipe from the book, Moonlit Mid-Autumn Festival by Choong Su Yin i s exactly the same as the flakiest tau sar piah that I have baked here! So you know... These mooncakes are going to be flakiest too! LOL!
Besides the ingredients that I used to bake my Teochew mooncakes, there are other traditional Teochew mooncake fillings that you can used to design and bake your kind of flaky Teochew mooncakes according to the way that you like:
red bean paste (see here for homemade red bean paste recipe)
yam/taro paste (see here for homemade yam paste recipe)
melon seeds
candied orange
salted vegetable - only if you like it... LOL!
Here's the recipe that is largely adapted from the book, Moonlit Mid-Autumn Festival by Choong Su Yin
20g white sesame seeds, roasted until golden brown
40g candied melon, finely chopped
30g meat floss (I used pork floss from Taiwan)
1/2 tsp salt
Note: There will be 2-3 tbsp of leftover after using this amount to make 5 mooncakes.
200g lotus paste (mine is homemade, recipe is at here)
30g shortening, preferably the trans fat free Crisco
30g shortening preferably the trans fat free Crisco
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
white sesame seeds to sprinkle
Combine all inside filling ingredients. Divide the lotus paste (the outer filling) into 5 equal portions too.
Roll each portion of lotus paste into ball. Flatten to form a flat disk and place about 1-2 tbsp of the inside filling in the middle of the lotus paste and wrap the inside filling into the lotus paste. Using the palm of your hands, roll the wrapped filling until it forms a ball. Repeat with the rest of the fillings. Set aside.
To prepare the water dough:
In a mixing bowl, rub shortening into flour. Add water and combine the mixture into a dough. Transfer the dough onto a non-stick surface and knead until it is smooth. Cover the dough with a cling wrap and set aside to rest for 1 hr in room temperature.
To prepare the oil dough:
In a mixing bowl, combine flour and shortening to form a pliable dough. Cover it with a cling wrap. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 190°C. Line baking tray with baking paper.
Divide the water and oil dough into 5 equal portions.
Take a portion of water dough and roll it into a flat round shape. Place a portion of oil dough on the rolled water dough and wrap the water dough around the oil dough. Seal the edges.
Using a rolling pin, roll the combined dough into a flat oval shape and roll it up like Swiss roll. Using a rolling pin, roll the combined dough into a long strip and roll up like a Swiss roll again.
Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a flat round disc. Place each portion of filling in the center of the dough. Wrap and seal the edges of the dough. Place the wrapped pastry with its seam side down and use a rolling pin to flatten it slightly to form a disc. Transfer the pastries onto the prepared tray with its seam side down. Repeat this shaping method with the rest of the pastry and filling.
Brush egg wash on the surfaces of the pastries and sprinkle sesame seeds on the pastries and bake for 20 mins or until deep golden brown.
Allow the pastry to cool slightly (about 10 mins) in the tray. Transfer the pastry to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in room temperature for up to 3 days.
