台式奶香月饼 （板栗馅） Taiwanese Style Baked Mooncakes (with Chestnut Paste)

I feel so blessed when my family gather together to taste the homemade mooncake and enjoying the Chinese tea. It is first time for my son to learn how to shelled the sunflower seeds too, I thank God for Gabriel and everything He has placed in my life. 

This is the second year I bake the Taiwanese Style Mooncakes, love its milky aroma pastry! It is not just easy to make ... no lard, nearly zero failure but also because it doesn't use the alkali water which is the common ingredient in the traditional mooncakes. To me, baking at home means we can try to control and reduce the chemical used in the food as much as possible. I also omitted the baking soda in the recipe. True enough, the shape of the mooncake may not be in its perfect pattern.

I added a bit of salt in the pastry, the taste go well with the chestnut paste filling. The sweetness of this mooncake is just right for my family. 

I will be taking a break after this post. Bye, see you! 

这是我第二年烘焙台式奶香月饼，除了喜欢它好吃的饼皮，在烘焙时那饼皮的奶香也是让我难忘的。它不只容易做，几乎是零失败。没有枧水对我来说也是很重要的，在家烘焙的理由是我尝试掌握和减少我家人吃下肚里的化学药物！在这食谱，我也把苏打粉删处了，烤出来的月饼是没有外面卖的完美，但基本上是吃得安心。如果时间可以，下次馅料要自己弄。我在饼皮里加了一些盐，和着板栗馅吃中和了，甜度是我家人喜欢的。

今晚我家两老一小就一边吃月饼，一边喝茶还一边啖瓜子，看着儿子第一次啖瓜子又吃得斤斤有味的。。。我的嘴角幸福的上扬！
还有想告诉你中东的月亮地地确确是比在亚洲看到的还要大很多哟，吃了月饼我就放长假去啦！\(^o^)/

Sunflower seeds, shelled it one by one!! OMG! 

Wrap in the chestnut paste

Recipe adapted from 鲸鱼 with minor changes
(Make 4 pieces, ~60g pastry, ~90g filling)
Ingredients:
50g butter, soften
40g icing sugar
30g syrup
150g pastry flour
10g milk powder (used 15g)
1/4 tsp baking soda (omitted)
2 egg yolks
1/4 tsp salt (a bit of salty taste on the pastry go well with the sweet filling)

Filling:

360g store bought Chestnut paste + 10g crashed sunflower seeds 

Egg wash:

1 egg yolk +1/4 tsp golden syrup 
Method:
1. In a mixing bowl, add the soften butter, add icing sugar and syrup. With a hand whisk, cream it until fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time. Whisk until smooth batter.
2. Add pastry flour, milk powder and salt into the step (1) batter. Mix well to form soft dough. Let it rest for 30 mins in the fridge. Divide into four portions. About 60g each.

3. Divide filling, about 90g each. Flatten the pastry dough between two wrapping cling, wrap the filling. Roll it into round shape. Use the palm to flatten the mooncake dough a bit before placing into the press mold. Press out the mooncake dough on a baking tray. (suggest you keep the mooncake dough in the freezer for 15 mins. before baking to keep its shape)4. Bake at 170C for 8 mins, remove the mooncake from oven, apply egg wash and return to bake for another 15 mins.