Ingredients:

  • 84 g golden syrup
  • 25 g vegetable oil
  • 7 g lye water
  • 117 g all-purpose flour
  • 7 g cocoa powder
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 oz kataifi pastry, shredded
  • 7 oz pistachio butter
  • 1 tablespoon tahini
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 3 tablespoons whole milk

Instructions:

  1. Melt butter in a saucepan. Toast kataifi in melted butter until light brown. Remove from heat and stir in pistachio butter, tahini, and salt. Mix in flour until just combined. Cool in the freezer for 45 minutes until firm enough to handle.
  2. Combine golden syrup, vegetable oil, and lye water in a mixing bowl. Add flour and cocoa powder. Mix until a dough forms. Cover and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  3. Weigh 30g of pistachio filling and 20g of mooncake skin for each mooncake. Roll pistachio filling into a ball. Roll mooncake dough into a flat 3.5-inch disc (use parchment paper to prevent sticking). Place pistachio ball in the center of the dough disc. Wrap the dough around the filling, gently stretching it to enclose the filling. Roll between your hands to form a smooth ball. Lightly flour the mooncake mold, shaking off excess. Press each mooncake into the mold on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Lift and gently push mooncake out of the mold. Brush off any excess flour.
  4. Chill mooncakes in the fridge for 10-20 minutes (or up to an hour). Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Bake for 5 minutes. Make the egg wash: Whisk egg yolk and milk until smooth. Remove mooncakes from oven and brush lightly with egg wash. Return to oven and bake for another 7 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  5. Refrigerate mooncakes for 24 hours before serving. This allows the skin to soften and the flavors to meld.