Snow skin mooncakes are known by different names. You will hear some people calling them ice-skin mooncakes, snowy mooncakes, and crystal mooncakes. It is a Chinese food that is eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
There are variations, though. For instance, a snow-skinned mooncake will not be baked in Hong Kong. They are also in mainland China, Taiwan, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia.
Snow Skin Mooncakes Are Different than Traditional Ones?
Mostly, these cakes are sold by the bakeries. But the difference is that the snow-skinned mooncakes are not baked in ovens. There is yet another difference. Unlike the traditional cakes eaten at normal room temperature, these mooncakes must be eaten cold.
Making the Snow Skin Mooncake Dough
Glutinous rice flour, wheat starch, and rice flour go into making the mooncake dough. These ingredients make the dough flexible, soft, and subtle. If you wish, you can wrap the dough around any thick filling.
The rice flour does not make the dough sticky and, thereby, hard to deal with. The glutinous rice flour gives it a chewy and bouncy texture. And the wheat starch is added to the dough to get a translucent look. Gluten, on the other hand, offers flexibility to the dough.
How to Steam the Batter of Snow Skin Mooncakes?
To steam the batter, you must do so in a heatproof bowl. You should place it atop simmering water and kept on a rack so that it does not touch the water. Gradually, the dough starts to form and turns translucent. It takes around 20 to 25 minutes to reach this stage. Alternatively, you can wrap the pot lid with a clean linen towel. This will prevent condensation droplets from falling into the dough.
How to Microwave?
If you wish to microwave the batter, the microwave-safe bowl must be covered with a plastic wrap. It should be kept on high power, and stirring the batter every few minutes is essential. Keep a tab until the dough starts forming. It will take around four minutes for the process.
Production and Storage of Snow Skin Mooncakes
The rules for producing, storing, and transporting mooncakes are different from those for baked mooncakes. We know that the mooncakes are not baked in the oven. They are packed in plastic bags. You can either keep single mooncakes or in pairs. As they are not baked, it is better if you refrigerate them. If you keep them in the freezer, you can do so for a few weeks. They should be thawed before being served. This will help them to become softer. And if you have thawed snow-skin mooncakes, make sure you consume them within two hours. Freezing a snow-skinned mooncake again (refreezing) is not recommended. It is better to explore more about Snow skin Mooncakes.
