September 1, 2009

Together Again : Making Moon Cakes

We first met at University of Malaya in 1970 and have been friends since and some of us even became next door neighbours! Many became couples and married after graduation. Some remain single and others married outside the group and even left Malaysia .


Last week we had a gathering and after a sumptious pot luck of more than 8 dishes with poached peaches and icecream for dessert : Kah Jin taught us to make moon cakes with Regina (his wife ) giving some of the well meaning suggestions at the back. Tom was full of humour trying to crack us up every other minute.

Next year we will be celebrating 40 years together as friends! What a great journey of lasting friendship!

Have you heard of this old rhyme?
Meet new friends but keep the old?
One is silver the other gold?


All ingredients must be precision weighed (this is a diet calorie weighing scale : scared?)

The Master Hand.

Red salted egg yolks. The ducks which laid these eggs did not eat enough oysters and shell fish (Ref: Wong Meng Lei - Rajang Basin)

Lotus paste and melon seeds - the jewels of Chinese mooncakes.

Once you've got the ball of lotus paste rounded up and firm you need to make a nice deep hole with your thumb and place the nice salted egg yolk in. Easy peasy.

It was a tight squeeze but it was a merry time challenging each other to make the best balls.

He was top of the Chef Class. You must cook with all your heart and soul.

Press the mooncake with all the fillings into the mould like this. Press Press Press!

Waiting for the mooncakes after the second basting. Sharing is easy when we know each other like the palm of our own hand.

Our beautiful mooncakes (filled with lotus paste and melon seeds with one egg yolk. :)

8 comments:

Ah Ngao said...

fabulous ! homemade moon cake is uncomparable with the one you buys from the shop - preservatives added.i dont see any "Pin phee" ?

Ensurai said...

We are quite traditional. Just chose the traditional skin...Do you prefer pin phee?

My younger friends make the agar agar type but they are too sweet!

I like to see the nice Chinese words onthe moon cake. Our are : Flower Good Moon Round. Now which two words first? Left or right? hahahahah.

Wishing you everything good then...

天鵝江畔 said...

Hi, CY can you send some for my monday tea ?

Ensurai said...

Ai yo...my share was only ONE moon cake to take home!!

I think I should start making now in Miri loh!!

One month to go...still got time...hahahah...

thanks for stopping by.

headsteadi said...

Hi! Nice to be back, reading your interesting postings.

Ensurai said...

Hi Headsteadi

Nice to hear from you. Hope all is fine with you. God bless.

Anonymous said...

Hi Cikgu
Can I come n learn how to make mooncake from you???? heheheheh
Lovely story...and I hope my friends will stay with me too in this way...

Kamaliah

Ensurai said...

Hi Kamaliah
Actually it is quite easy to make mooncakes . Go to any cake shop which sells the ingredients and get a simple recipe. Lotus paste is already available but if you want any other ingredients try Kim Joo which also sells the moulds. You can buy a wooden one or a pink plsstic one.
If you have the time we can make mooncakes together. Just call when you are in Miri. Master Chef is Mr. Jee.

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