Step 1

Rinse the adzuki beans, drain, and add to your Instant Pot along with 3½ cups of water. Close the lid, and set your Instant Pot on the Bean/Chili setting for 25 minutes. (If your red beans are very large or less fresh, increase the cooking time to 30-35 minutes.) Once the cooking time has elapsed, leave the Instant Pot untouched for another 10 minutes. Carefully turn the valve to venting to release the steam (protect your hand with an oven mitt). When the pressure has fully released, open the Instant Pot.

Step 2

If you do not have an Instant Pot, place the dried beans in a large bowl and cover with 2 inches (5 cm) of water. Soak overnight. Drain the soaked beans and transfer to a medium pot, along with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cover. Simmer for 40-60 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more water ¼ cup at a time if the liquid dries up. Cook until the beans are tender enough to be mashed with the back of a spoon.

Step 3

Carefully transfer the cooked beans and liquid to a food processor, and puree until very smooth. If you have a smaller food processor, puree it in multiple batches as needed. (It’s ok to add a few drops of water if the paste is too thick.)

Step 4

In a thick-bottomed or nonstick pan over medium to medium-low heat, heat ¼ cup oil over medium heat. Add the bean puree and the sugar. Cook for 30-40 minutes until you have a thick paste, stirring often with a rubber spatula to prevent sticking or burning. Every 10 minutes, add another ¼ cup of oil until you’ve added 1 cup total, ensuring the oil is fully incorporated into the filling before adding more.

Step 5

Finally, stir in the maltose. The red bean paste is done once it can hold its shape. Let it cool to the touch before handling. If you pre-make the filling, store it in a clean, air-tight container after it has cooled completely. It will last in the refrigerator for about 1 week.

Step 6

Buy pre-made, pre-cooked salted duck egg yolks, and bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 350°F/175°C for 10 minutes to release their oils. Cool completely.

Step 7

Or buy raw salted duck eggs, and separate the yolks from the white. Gently rinse the yolks under a small stream of running water to wash off any residual egg white. Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Dip each yolk briefly in baijiu (白酒, a clear Chinese liquor) or whiskey just to coat it, then put the egg yolks on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, let them cool completely, and they are ready to use.

Step 8

Alternatively, buy whole cooked salted duck eggs, and extract the yolks. These are ready to use. No baking needed.

Step 9

In a mixing bowl, combine the golden syrup, oil, and Potassium Carbonate solution together with a rubber spatula. (If using cups for measuring, make sure you get almost every last drop of syrup/oil from the measuring cups into the bowl!)

Step 10

Then add the flour to the mixture, and use the spatula to combine everything into a soft dough. Do not overwork it. This step should only take 1-2 minutes. Cover the dough in an airtight container or with an overturned plate. Let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Step 11

While the dough is resting, start preparing the filling. Separately weigh out twenty-four 55g scoops of red bean paste filling. With lightly oiled hands, shape each portion of filling into a smooth ball.

Step 12

If using salted duck egg yolks, make a deep well in the middle of each ball, and insert the yolk. Alternatively, shape the filling into a flat disc, place the yolk in the center, and then close the paste around it. Re-shape the red bean paste into a ball and repeat with the remainder of the ingredients. Cover tightly and refrigerate until you’re ready to assemble the mooncakes.

Step 13

Once the dough has finished resting, divide and weigh the dough into twenty-four 28-30g pieces, plus 1 smaller dough ball for scraps/mending. Shape each piece into a ball, and keep in a covered container to chill in the fridge. You’ll only be working with a couple dough balls at a time.

Step 14

It’s time to prepare the mooncake mold. My mold came with four pattern plates––one plate should be attached to the mold itself and locked in place. Dust the inside of the mold with plenty of flour and shake off the excess. You’ll need to do this before pressing every mooncake to avoid sticking.

Step 15

Take one dough ball, lightly dust it with flour, and roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a 4-inch/10cm round. Use a thin, flat spatula to lift up the dough, and place it on top of a ball of filling. Gently press out the air bubbles around the filling. Now turn the opening facing up, and slowly press the dough together to close the opening, keeping the dough distribution as even as possible. The dough will crack easily, but it’s also easy to squish back together or patch with an extra scrap of dough. The chief goal here is to close the dough around the filling without capturing air inside. Roll between your hands to create a smooth ball.

Step 16

Now, lightly dust the assembled ball with additional flour. Place it on a lightly floured work surface, then press the mooncake mold onto the ball until the base of the mold makes contact with the work surface. Firmly press down on the spring until you feel resistance. Lift the mold and gently press the mooncake out of the mold.

Step 17

If any dough gets stuck in the mold or you have areas where the filling is peeking through the dough, get a small piece of the scrap/mending dough to patch up the area. Then clean the mold (a toothpick helps get dough out of any nooks and crannies in the mold) and dust it well with flour again. Then gently press in on all sides of the mooncake to make it smaller, so it can go back in the mold for reshaping. Use more flour for dusting if this becomes a persistent issue.

Step 18

Place the mooncakes on a baking sheet about 1 inch (2.5cm) apart as you make them. Repeat until you've assembled all the mooncakes. (Note that they will not change size during baking.)

Step 19

Preheat the oven to 325°F/160°C when you’re almost finished assembling the mooncakes. Right before baking, gently mist the mooncakes with a food-grade spray bottle (if you have one) filled with water. You can also dip your fingers into a bowl of water, and fling the water on your fingers onto the mooncakes a couple of times. This prevents the dough from cracking.

Step 20

Immediately put the mooncakes in the oven and bake for 5 minutes. (Remember to set the timer!) Now prepare the egg wash by whisking the egg yolk and 3 tablespoons of water together.

Step 21

After the mooncakes have been baking for 5 minutes, take them out of the oven and immediately lower the oven temperature to 300°F/150°C. Very lightly brush each mooncake with egg wash (preferably using a natural bristle pastry brush), being careful not to allow any egg wash pool in the nooks and crannies of the mooncakes. Put them back in the oven, and bake for another 15 minutes.

Step 22

When the mooncakes first come out of the oven, the dough will look a bit dry, and not oily like what you are used to when opening packaged mooncakes. This is normal. Cool completely, and then store the cooled mooncakes in an airtight container for 1-2 days, and the outside will get that nice shiny sheen you recognize!