These Cookie Crust Mooncakes are made without lye water or golden syrup. They feature a crisp, buttery, tender cookie-style crust made from sable dough and a classic filling of smooth red bean paste with a savory salted egg yolk center. The result is a pleasing contrast of textures and a balanced sweet-salty flavor.
I have a confession: although I tasted a few mooncakes growing up, the traditional type never quite won me over. The classic mooncake skin often felt bland and heavy to my palate. When I first tried lava custard mooncakes with their cookie-like crust, I fell in love with the crisp, buttery, and delicate texture of that crust.
That inspired me to combine the textures I enjoy with the fillings I love: a cookie-style sable crust on the outside paired with traditional red bean paste and a salted egg yolk at the center. The crust gives the mooncake a light, tender crunch while the filling keeps the familiar, comforting flavors of a classic mooncake.
About Cookie Crust Mooncakes
Cookie Crust Mooncakes use a sable-style cookie dough as the mooncake skin. This dough is rich in butter and tender when baked, producing a delicate, crumbly crust that contrasts beautifully with dense fillings. Here, the filling is a smooth red bean paste wrapped around a baked salted egg yolk for a classic sweet-and-savoury combination. The salted yolk adds a round, umami-rich note that cuts through the sweetness and creates a more complex, satisfying bite.
Variations
This cookie-crust method is versatile and adapts to many flavors. You can experiment with different powdered ingredients in the dough or try alternate fillings to suit your tastes.
- Cookie crust. Add matcha powder to the dough to produce a delicate green crust with earthy notes. For a chocolate version, swap some cake flour for cocoa powder for a deeper, richer flavor.
- Filling. If red bean paste isn’t your favorite, substitute lotus seed paste, mung bean paste, black sesame paste, or a thick custard paste. Omit salted egg yolks if you prefer and simply increase the paste or add dried fruit, seeds, or chopped nuts to the filling for texture.
Why You Should Chill the Dough
Chilling the dough is essential. The sable cookie dough is soft and slightly sticky at room temperature because of the butter content. A brief rest in the refrigerator firms the butter and allows the dough to relax, making it much easier to portion and shape. Cold dough holds detailed patterns better in a mooncake mold, producing neat edges and a clean finish after baking.
Make in Advance
You can make the dough ahead and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then place it inside a freezer-safe bag. Store in the refrigerator for up to three days or in the freezer for up to three months. If frozen, thaw the dough in the refrigerator overnight before using.
Raw, molded mooncakes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Keep them covered so the crust does not dry out before baking.
How to Store
Once baked, allow mooncakes to cool completely and store them in an airtight container. At room temperature they will keep well for about three days, and up to a week refrigerated. Note that the crust is crispiest just after baking and will soften over time; a quick reheat in a low oven will help crisp the surface again.
More Mooncake Recipes
- Honey Pistachio Mooncakes
- Lava Custard Mooncakes
- Thousand Layers Lava Custard Mooncakes
Cookie Crust Mooncakes
Crisp, buttery sable cookie crust filled with red bean paste and a baked salted egg yolk for a sweet-and-savoury traditional treat.
Ingredients
Mooncake Skin
- 1/2 cup (113 gr) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup (35 gr) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups (160 gr) cake flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
Matcha Mooncake Skin (optional)
- 1/2 of the prepared mooncake skin dough for one color
- 2 tsp matcha powder (sifted into half the dough)
Filling
- 14 salted egg yolks (baked as directed)
- 12.5 oz (350 gr) red bean paste
Egg Wash
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
Prepare Salted Egg Yolks
- Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C). Line a baking sheet with foil.
- Crack open salted duck eggs and separate the yolks from the whites. Rinse the yolks gently under running water and place them on the prepared pan.
- Optional: lightly spray the yolks with a small amount of Shaoxing wine or other neutral spirit to reduce any fishiness.
- Bake for 10 minutes until cooked. Remove and cool completely before using.
Make the Mooncake Skin
- In a medium bowl, beat the unsalted butter and sifted confectioners’ sugar together until combined.
- Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract, mixing until smooth.
- Sift in cake flour and salt, then mix until just combined to form a soft dough. Avoid overworking.
Matcha Dough (optional)
- Divide the dough into two equal portions. Sift matcha powder into one portion and fold until evenly colored.
- Chill both the vanilla and matcha dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
Assemble
- While the dough rests, portion the filling: weigh one salted egg yolk plus red bean paste so each filled center totals about 40 g. Shape the red bean paste into balls, flatten each, place a salted yolk in the center, and wrap to fully enclose. Roll smooth. Repeat for all pieces.
- Divide each color of dough into 7 even pieces (about 23–24 g each) and roll into balls.
- Flatten each dough ball with your palm, enclose a filling ball, pinch to seal, and roll smooth.
- Dust a mooncake mold with flour, remove excess flour, and press each ball into the mold to form a patterned mooncake. Release and repeat.
Bake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Place the molded mooncakes on the sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool for 10–15 minutes.
- Whisk the egg yolk and water for the egg wash. Brush a thin layer over the mooncakes.
- Return to the oven and bake another 10 minutes or until golden brown.
- Allow mooncakes to rest on the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Notes
If the skin dough feels too soft to handle, chill it for 15 minutes until slightly firmer. Keep molded raw mooncakes covered in the refrigerator to prevent drying before baking.
Nutrition (per mooncake)
Serving: 1 mooncake • Calories: 245 kcal • Carbohydrates: 27 g • Protein: 6 g • Fat: 12 g • Sugar: 14 g