Shanghai Mooncake with Chocolate, Red Bean & Coconut Filling

A Note on Mooncakes Two essential tools required for making mooncakes are moulds and a digital weighing scale. The latter is necessary for weighing out equal portions of all manner of dough and fillings, as well as the small quantities of lye water. Too much of lye renders the skin overly dark on baking, and too little robs it of its much needed elasticity. Obtain a variety of moulds so that the mooncakes can take on various shapes. Do not feel compelled to use only the traditional wooden ones, pretty as they are. Contemporary plastic moulds come in two pieces or are spring loaded, making them easier to handle. Plastic or silicone moulds can also double up, and are especially necessary for the jellied mooncakes. Use a variety of shapes and designs for flexibility. Given the plethora of moulds and sizes, there is a simple method to determine the amount of filling and dough. Whatever size the mooncake, a dough-to-filling ratio of approximately 1:3 works well. It takes practice to shape the dough into a thin, even layer around the filling. Work by weight rather than volume. To figure out how much a mould will take, fill it completely with the choice of filling, then weigh it. Based on this weight, work out how much dough and filling you need for each mooncake using the recommended ratio above.