Mooncake Recipe made of Brownies + Shortbread

Recipe from China and the United States! I decided to create my own Mooncake recipe by combining the best of both worlds. A chocolate brownie into the middle of a crispy shortbread cookie on the outside.

This year more than ever, China has been in the news everyday so I decided to tell you something that I discovered a few years ago and absolutely love. I also made this Mooncake recipe for the Christmas season so I could give them as my small gesture of holiday cheer. 

The Mooncake may as well be its own holiday, oh wait it kinda is in China. Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋節). The festival is about lunar appreciation and Moon watching with mooncakes that are regarded as a delicacy. It is a costume to give Mooncakes  between friends or family while gathering to celebrate the festival. 

What is the Mid-Autumn Festival or Mooncake Festival?

The Mid-Autumn Festival which is also called the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, happens in the middle of September. It is a traditional festival celebrated by many Southeast Asian people.

The second-most important holiday after Chinese New Year with a history dating back over 3,000 years. It was a way to worship the moon for bountiful harvests. The ancient Chinese believed in rejuvenation being associated with the moon and water.

How to Make Mooncake Recipe with Brownies + Shortbread cookie dough

Prepare the Cookie Dough

1. Add flour, cornstarch and salt to a medium bowl, and whisk to combine. Set aside. Combine butter, granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted. Cream the butter mixture on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add vanilla  medium speed until well combined. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low speed just until combined. 
2. Scrape the bowl and fold a few times to make sure everything is well combined. 
3. Wrap dough in plastic wrap, flatten into a disk, and chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
4. Cut dough into 8 pieces. Take one piece out and return the rest to the refrigerator.
5. Take each piece into a ball between your hands. One at a time, dip a ball of dough into flour and set on the work surface. Roll out into a circular shape.

Prepare the Brownie Balls

1. Prepare the brownie mix with the package instructions. Take out 10 minutes before the time on the package so it is a little gooey. 
2. Let the brownie mix cool off where you can handle it by hand. Scoop with a spoon and form a ball.
3. Set the balls aside so you can use them for the center.

Combining the Brownie Ball and Cookie Dough

1. Take the dough in one hand and place the brownie ball in the center. Cover the brownie by pinching the dough in one direction until a ball has been formed. 
2. Dip cookie stamp in flour, remove and press down on the ball of dough until it is about 1-inch thick. Remove stamps. Transfer mooncake to a parchment baking sheet, arranging them about 1 ½ inches apart. Repeat with remaining dough.
3. Once you have stamped out all the cookies, chill in the freezer until very firm, about 10 minutes. Set the oven at 350 º degrees.
4. When cold, brush off any excess flour with a dry pastry brush.
5. Bake mooncakes until they turn golden underneath, about 12 to 14 minutes, switching the baking sheets from front to back and top to bottom halfway through baking time.
6. Remove the mooncakes and cool for a few minutes on a wire rack. EnJoY!

Where to Buy the Mooncake Mold?

The best thing to do is buy the mold on Amazon. It cheap and you can get it the next day. I also dust flour inside so it is easier to remove the Mooncake. Buy Mold

Variations

One of the things that I love about the mooncakes its best of a cookie and a brownie. I have used food coloring on the cookie dough and sprinkled powder sugar. I love being creative with these mooncakes. 

Tip

• If the dough gets soft, place back into the refrigerator to harden the dough a little.
• Make sure to to have floor on the mold so the dough does not get sticky. 
• To make different color Mooncakes, add food coloring to dough when mixing.

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I hope you liked this recipe and I do admit it does take a little time to make but it did make 8 boxed cookie deliveries around the neighborhood for the holidays. Nothing like a cookie to say, "thank you for being a nice neighbor" See ya next time!

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