There are three popular fillings for mooncakes:  lotus paste, red bean paste and mixed nuts.  My version of the mixed nuts filling was inspired by the Food for the Gods dessert made by my friend Carlos.  Instead of the usual melon and olive seeds, candied fruits and candied ginger, I used walnuts, almonds and dried orange cranberries.  This is what I served at my Mooncake and Tea Party for Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24 last Saturday.  The nuts filling was flavored with a little bit of rose water (and brandy if you have) and then mixed with koh fun (fried glutinous rice flour) to bind them into a ball.

Mixed Nuts Filling

Ingredients:

• 2 cups roughly chopped roasted almonds
• 2 cups roughly chopped roasted walnuts
• 2 cups dried orange cranberries
• 1 tbs  rose water
• 2 tbs icing sugar
• 3 tbs peanut oil
• a pinch of salt
• 2 tbs fried glutinous rice flour or koh fun
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• water

Mooncake Skin

• 200 g bleached all purpose flour or cake flour
• 20 g cornflour
• 65 g peanut oil
• 150 g mooncake syrup or golden syrup
• egg wash (1 egg yolk + 1 tbs water)

Directions:

1. Mix all the ingredients for the filling in a bowl.  Add just enough water to bind (must be dry). Divide into 100 g balls and set aside.
2. Combine and mix  ingredients for mooncake mix and and let it rest for 1 hour. Divide into portions of 45 g each.
3. Wrap the mooncake skin dough over the filling.  Mist spray with some water and bake at a preheated oven  at 400F for about 10 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and let cool slightly (about 3 minutes) before brushing with egg wash.
5. Return to oven and continue baking at 350F for another 10 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Cool in wire rack and let sit at room temperature for 2 days.  Then refrigerate or freeze.

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