Air Fryer Recipe: Kidney Bean Mooncakes with Salted Egg Yolk

 Cherry Blossom Kidney Bean Mooncakes with Salted Egg Yolk (Air Fryer)

These mooncakes are a beautiful and delicious twist on a classic. The cherry blossom design, created by a special plunger mould, adds a delicate elegance to the top of the cake. The air fryer provides a convenient way to achieve a perfectly baked, golden-brown crust without a full-sized oven. The filling, with its rich and earthy kidney bean paste and a savoury salted egg yolk, is both comforting and deeply flavourful.

Kidney Bean Paste: A Note on Flavour

While red bean paste is the most common filling for mooncakes, kidney bean paste offers a slightly different, equally delicious profile. It is a little less sweet and has a richer, more earthy and subtle flavour. This makes it an excellent pairing for the strong, savoury notes of the salted egg yolk. It's a fantastic alternative for those who find traditional bean paste too sweet.

How to Make Kidney Bean Paste

This paste needs to be made ahead of time.

• Ingredients:
• 200g dried kidney beans
• 100g sugar (adjust to your preference)
• 60ml neutral oil (like peanut or vegetable oil)
• Pinch of salt
• Method:
• Rinse the kidney beans and soak them overnight in plenty of water.
• Drain the beans and place them in a pot with fresh water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the beans are very soft and can be easily mashed. This can take 1.5 to 2 hours.
• Drain the cooked beans, reserving some of the cooking liquid.
• Transfer the beans to a food processor or a high-powered blender. Add the sugar and a pinch of salt. Blend until you have a smooth puree, adding a tablespoon of the reserved liquid at a time if needed to help it blend.
• Transfer the puree to a non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Add the oil and stir constantly with a spatula. Continue to cook until the oil is fully absorbed and the paste thickens and pulls away from the sides of the pan. It should be firm enough to hold its shape when rolled into a ball.
• Let the paste cool completely before using. You can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Mooncake Ingredients

• Mooncake Dough:
• 150g mooncake flour (or a mix of 100g all-purpose flour + 50g cake flour)
• 100g golden syrup
• 1/2 tsp alkaline water (Lye water)
• 40g peanut oil (or other neutral oil)
• Filling:
• 500g prepared kidney bean paste
• 6-8 salted duck egg yolks
• Egg Wash:
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tbsp water

Equipment

• Air fryer
• Mooncake plunger mould with a cherry blossom design (e.g., a 50g or 75g mould)
• Kitchen scale
• Parchment paper

Instructions

1. Prepare the Salted Egg Yolks: Rinse the salted egg yolks under running water.¹ Place them on a heatproof plate, spray with a little cooking wine (like rice wine or Shaoxing wine) to remove any fishy smell, and steam for 8-10 minutes, or until cooked through. Let them cool completely.
   
   
2. Prepare the Filling Balls:
• Weigh the kidney bean paste and the salted egg yolks. For a 75g mooncake, you'll want the filling to be about 45g.
• Flatten a portion of kidney bean paste and place one steamed salted egg yolk in the centre. Carefully wrap the paste around the yolk, making sure there are no gaps or air pockets. Roll it into a smooth ball. Repeat for all the egg yolks. Cover and set aside.
3. Make the Dough:
• In a large bowl, whisk together the golden syrup, peanut oil, and alkaline water until well combined.
• Sift the flour into a separate bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the liquid mixture.
• Use a spatula to mix until a soft dough forms. Do not over-knead.
• Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour. This resting period is crucial for the dough to become pliable and easy to work with.
4. Assemble the Mooncakes:
• Preheat your air fryer to 160°C (320°F).
• Weigh out the dough. For a 75g mould, you'll need a 30g dough ball for each mooncake.
• Flatten a dough ball into a round disk. Place a filling ball in the centre. Gently stretch the dough up and around the filling, pinching it at the top to seal completely. Roll the mooncake into a smooth ball.
• Lightly dust the mooncake mould with flour and shake off the excess. Place the mooncake ball into the mould, seam-side down.
• Press the plunger firmly onto the mooncake and then release it, carefully pushing the mooncake out onto a piece of parchment paper. The beautiful cherry blossom design should be imprinted on top.
5. Air Fry and Glaze:
• Place the mooncakes in the air fryer basket in a single layer, with a little space between them.
• Air fry at 160°C (320°F) for 5-7 minutes.
• While they are in the air fryer, prepare the egg wash by whisking the egg yolk and water together.
• Carefully remove the mooncakes from the air fryer. Let them cool for 10-15 minutes. This step is essential to prevent the egg wash from being absorbed into the hot dough.
• Using a pastry brush, gently and thinly apply a layer of egg wash over the top and sides of each mooncake.
• Return the mooncakes to the air fryer. Air fry for another 5-8 minutes, or until the tops are a beautiful golden brown.
6. Cooling and "Re-Oiling":
• Let the mooncakes cool completely on a wire rack.
• Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for at least 2-3 days. This "re-oiling" process allows the oil from the dough to seep out, making the skin soft, glossy, and more translucent. The flavour will also deepen and become more complex.

Recipe Flavour Profile

This mooncake is a celebration of contrasting flavours and textures. The outer skin, once "re-oiled," is soft, slightly chewy, and has a rich, sweet, and nutty flavour from the golden syrup. The kidney bean paste filling is firm yet smooth, with a deep, earthy sweetness that is less overpowering than other bean pastes. The star of the show is the salted egg yolk, which provides a rich, savoury, and slightly grainy burst of flavour that cuts through the sweetness of the paste. The combination is a perfect harmony of sweet and savoury, making each bite a delightful and complex experience.