Cat Face Red Bean Mooncake Puffs

🧾 Ingredients

For Water-Oil Dough:

• 110g all-purpose flour

• 35g unsalted butter

• 20g powdered sugar

• 45g water

For Oil Pastry Dough:

• 90g low-gluten flour (cake flour)

• 45g lard or softened butter

For Filling:

• 220g sweet red bean paste

• 10 salted egg yolks (baked with white wine)

For Decoration:

• 1 egg yolk (for brushing)

• Bamboo charcoal powder (for dark details)

• Cocoa powder (for brown accents)

• Melted chocolate (for facial features)

👩🍳 Instructions

1. Prepare the Salted Egg Yolks

• Spray salted egg yolks lightly with white wine.

• Bake at 150°C (302°F) for 5 minutes and let cool.

2. Make the Water-Oil Dough

• In a mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, and softened butter.

• Add water and knead until a smooth dough forms.

• Knead until dough can be stretched into a thin “glove film.” Cover and rest for 20 minutes.

• Divide into 22g balls.

3. Make the Oil Pastry

• Mix low-gluten flour with lard or softened butter until a soft dough forms.

• Divide into 14g balls.

4. Wrap and Layer

• Flatten one water-oil dough ball, place one oil pastry ball in the center, and wrap tightly.

• Roll into an oval “tongue” shape, then roll up from top to bottom.

• Rotate 90°, roll out again, and roll up once more.

• Press down in the center with your finger, flatten, and roll out to a circle.

5. Assemble the Filling

• Divide the red bean paste into 22g balls.

• Flatten each ball, place a salted egg yolk in the center, and wrap completely.

6. Shape the Mooncakes

• Place the red bean filling into the flattened pastry rounds and seal.

• Place seam-side down on a lined baking tray.

• Gently pinch two corners on each to form cat “ears.”

7. Decorate

• Brush the surface with egg yolk.

• Use cocoa powder and bamboo charcoal powder to create different hair patterns or ears.

• Preheat oven to 170°C (338°F), and bake for 35 minutes.

8. Draw Faces

• After cooling, use melted chocolate and a toothpick or piping bag to draw eyes, whiskers, and mouths for adorable cat faces.

🎉 Serving Tip

These mooncake puffs taste best slightly warm, when the crust is at its flakiest and the red bean filling is soft. Store in an airtight container and consume within 3 days for best texture.