Snow Skin Mooncakes with Custard Filling

Snow skin mooncakes on a wooden plate, with sliced strawberries on the side.

5 from 2 votes

Snow Skin Mooncakes with Custard Filling

Snow skin mooncakes that are chewy and soft are filled with a vanilla custard and fresh strawberry for mid-autumn festival!

Prep Time45

Cook Time30

Assembly30

Total Time1 45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings: mooncakes

Calories: 127kcal

Author: Dana Rao

Ingredients

custard

1 egg
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon sugar
pinch salt
3 tablespoon corn starch

snow skin (mochi)

¼ cup wheat starch
2 tablespoon tapioca starch
¾ cup glutinous rice flour mochiko flour
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil
¼ teaspoon matcha powder (optional) for coloring the mooncakes
¼ teaspoon ube extract (optional) for coloring the mooncakes

assembly

snow skin mochi
custard
6 strawberries top stem cut off
¼ cup cornstarch
mooncake molds

Instructions

Make Custard Filling

In a separate bowl, mix corn starch, sugar and salt together. Gradually add the eggs and whisk until smooth with no clumps.
Add ⅓ of the hot milk from the stove to the egg mixture (we’re tempering the eggs) & mix together. Then add all the egg mixture to the milk on the stove (combine everything together!).
Continue to whisk everything together for one minute (or until the temperature reaches 212 degrees Fahrenheit) until the custard has thickened. Remove from heat and stir in melted butter.
Pro Tip: The custard will thicken up really fast on the stove from the cornstarch. Takes maximum 3 minutes and the custard will stick to the pot if not constantly mixing.
(Optional) Let the custard cool. I recommend refrigerating the custard for an hour prior to making the mooncakes. Wrapping the mooncakes with a firm custard is easier.

Snow Skin (Mochi)

Mix the following ingredients with a whisk: ¼ cup wheat starch, 2 tablespoon tapioca starch, ¾ cup glutinous rice flour, 1 cup whole milk, 1 tablespoon sugar. Mix until there are no clumps and the batter is smooth. Place on a stainless steel or glass bowl for steaming.
Boil water on medium-high heat in a large pot. Once water is boiling, place bowl on a steaming rack. Steam for 20 minutes.
After steaming, take the bowl out of the pot and cool for at least 10 minutes. Make sure the snowskin is not too hot to touch. Knead the snowskin dough until it becomes soft and easy to move around similar to play-doh!

Assembly

(OPTIONAL) To make colored dough, roll the dough in a ball. Then, split the dough in half. Use half for white dough. Then, split the other half in quarters. Add ¼ teaspoon matcha powder (or food color of choice) to the dough and knead until it turns green. Add ¼ teaspoon ube food coloring to the other piece of dough and knead until it turns purple.
Lay out a non-stick baking mat or cutting board. Add corn starch on the surface of the mat and on top of the dough. Split dough into 6 pieces. Flatten dough with a rolling pin.
Add custard on the bottom, then a strawberry and cover strawberry with more custard.
Fold all sides together and pinch the mooncake shut. Once you pinch it shut, there's some excess dough, cut it off with some scissors. Don't cut too much off or the mooncake will break.
Place the pinched mooncake in a mooncake mold and gently press the mooncake to the sides. Push the mooncake mold to make the impression and you should have a mooncake! Be careful as the mooncakes are very soft/fragile and transfer to a plate (add cornstarch to the plate to prevent sticking).
Eat the mooncakes immediately as it tastes the best fresh! If you can’t finish them, you can place in a closed container for 1-2 days. Before eating, microwave with a wet paper towel for 1-2 minutes until snowskin is soft or steam them for 2 minutes. Happy mid-autumn festival!

Video

@cookwithdana
Mid autumn festival is a cherished holiday for many chinese people! We all eat moon cakes during the holiday but these snow skin ones are more superior (imo) 🌚🌝
♬ original sound - cookwithdana

Notes

Expert Tips

Chill the dough - Put the snowskin mochi in the fridge for 30 minutes so the dough is firmer to mold!
Watch the custard on the stove. It thickens really fast from the cornstarch — 3 minutes maximum — and it will stick to the pot if you're not constantly mixing.
Chill the custard for an hour. This will help you wrap the snow skin mochi and keep it’s shape.
Eat them fresh. They're best the day they're made. Leftovers keep 1–2 days in a closed container — microwave with a damp paper towel for 1–2 minutes, or steam for 2 minutes, to bring the skin back to soft.

Nutrition