Matcha and red bean are classic flavours which are delicious in the form of snow skin mooncakes. Check out the secret ingredient that keeps the snow skin soft for days!
Store-bought red bean paste: Divide red bean paste into 17 approximately 30-gram balls. Chill in the refrigerator while you make the Skin.
Homemade red bean paste: Divide red bean paste into 30-gram balls. If the texture of your red bean paste is not as firm as store-bought red bean paste, freeze for at least 1 hour to firm up the red bean paste.
Skin
Sift the kou fen, icing sugar and matcha powder into a large mixing bowl. Add in cold butter (or shortening) and rub it in with your finger tips until small lumps of butter (or shortening) remain.
Add in ice cream soda (or whatever fizzy drink you are using) and mix to form a soft dough. Knead the dough in the mixing bowl until smooth.
Divide into 17 20-gram pieces and cover with a plastic wrap or tea towel when not in use.
Moulding
Dust your hand with matcha powder. Take a portion of the skin, flatten it, and wrap the filling inside.
If you are using frozen homemade red bean paste, wrap all the red bean paste with the matcha skin first before stamping it so that there's time for the red bean paste to soften.
Stamping
Dust your mould with more matcha powder and place the mooncake inside. Stamp it and push it out onto a tray. Once all the mooncakes have been shaped, place the tray of mooncakes in the refrigerator to firm up a little, about 15 to 30 minutes, so that they don't go out of shape when transferred into boxes.
Storage
Transfer the mooncakes into an air-tight container. Place a paper towel over the top before replacing the lid to prevent water from forming on top of the lid and dripping back onto the mooncakes. Refrigerate the mooncakes at least 6 hours or overnight before serving. The mooncakes can keep for up to 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator before the skin starts to dry out. The mooncakes are best served chilled with a cup of hot Chinese tea.
NOTES
The ice cream soda / sprite / 7-up is the secret ingredient that helps keep the snow skin soft for days!