Snow Skin Mooncake with Salted Egg Ice Cream Filling

A refreshingly satisfying take on a classic

I find it absolutely magical that during the Mid-Autumn Festival, families around the world get to enjoy warm and freshly baked mooncakes with their nearest and dearest as the season gets colder.

And while it’s a special time for us here in Australia too, sometimes it’s not so fun having to nibble on mooncakes with tea while the weather’s swelteringly hot.

That’s where a Snow Skin Mooncake with Salted Egg Ice Cream Filling comes to save the day! They’re the perfect way to cool down and you won’t have to compromise on all the fun of celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival. Have one, two, five or ten – each one’s deliciously refreshing every time.

Sure, they may take a little patience to put together from start to finish, but you’ll understand why it’s worth every second the moment you take your first bite. Let your teeth pierce through the delicate mochi and sink into a wickedly luscious ice cream full of savory and sweet flavors.

You’ll find that the salted egg flavor in this recipe is different to how it tastes in other recipes. It may be the star that complements prawns or potato chips in savory dishes, but in this dessert, it’s infused into the cream for a balanced and light taste.

There’s really nothing quite like it.

So try our recipe this weekend and you’ll keep coming back for more!

Why are mooncakes so expensive?

Traditional baked mooncakes are actually quite labor intensive and require quality ingredients. Fresh salted egg yolks, all the ingredients for the various types of fillings, lye water (used for the signature brown color and soft texture), lard and special invert syrup as mentioned by Wei over at Red House Spice are just some of the ways to make the Mid-Autumn Festival dessert.

Then you also have to factor in the time it takes to make each separate part – dough, filling and molding. It really is a labor of love!

They’re also almost exclusively sold as an edible gift for family and close friends during the festive season, which means the demand during that time is particularly high.

That’s why I love making Snow Skin Mooncake with Salted Egg Ice Cream Filling – the ingredients aren’t too expensive and there’s a lot less work than the baked version!

How do you use mooncake molds?

There are many varieties of molds to choose from when you search online. At home, we like to use the plastic ones with a spring handle because they’re easy to use and clean. You can also change the design easily.

But there are also the traditional ones made of wood, which have a long paddle for a handle.

Here’s how you would use each version:

• Plastic: Put the wrapped ball in the hollow part of the mold and press the opening against the table. Push down on the handle until it becomes too difficult to press and slowly lift the mold up while still pressing the handle down. This step is designed to push the mooncake out.
• Wood: Lightly coat the inside of the mold with toasted glutinous rice flour to prevent any sticking. Put the ball inside and use your hand to press down until everything is pressed perfectly into the mold. Give it a gentle tap and turn it over so the mooncake can fall out.

But regardless if which one you have, you’ll be able to make delicious Snow Skin Mooncake with Salted Egg Ice Cream Filling using either one!

Why this recipe works

• Using butter for the filling adds a creamy lusciousness.
• Condensed milk gives the Snow Skin Mooncake with Salted Egg Ice Cream Filling a rich yet gentle sweet flavor.
• Vanilla extract is just the flavor kick the custard needs to complement the savoriness.

What you’ll need

For the ice cream filling

About the ingredients

For the cheese slice, we use the individually wrapped singles cheese. They’re more processed than regular blocks of cheese but work well in this recipe for its mild flavor.

We used packaged salted egg yolks from the Asian supermarket. These ones came pre-cooked, so we didn’t have to steam them. If you have raw versions (they’re normally a slightly translucent and bright orange), make sure to steam them first.

For the mochi skin

About the ingredients

You can find glutinous rice flour and corn starch at Asian grocery stores. They’re often placed near each other in plastic bags.

The mochi in this Snow Skin Mooncake with Salted Egg Ice Cream Filling recipe uses full cream milk. Other options (like skim milk) might not give the same chewiness mochi is known for.

How to make this recipe

Making the filling

Mash the salted egg yolks until fine and leave aside for later.

Note: Make sure they’re cooked through. You can buy them pre-cooked or just steam them yourself.

Combine the egg yolks, condensed milk and vanilla extract in a bowl.

Pour the milk, cream and mashed salted egg yolks in a small saucepan, then bring it to a gentle simmer. As soon as a film forms on top, take it off the heat.

Pro Tip: Make sure the liquid doesn’t boil, otherwise the milk will start to curdle.

Add 1/2 cup of the hot liquid into the egg and condensed milk mixture and stir until combined. Pour the remaining mixture in very slowly while stirring until well incorporated. Doing this in parts will prevent the eggs from cooking.

Transfer the combined liquid back into the saucepan and cook it on a low-medium heat until it begins to thicken up. You want it to leave a clean streak when you run your finger across a rubber spatula.

When thickened, take it off the heat and in mix the cheese and butter until melted. Pour it into a freeze-safe bowl and let it cool for 5 minutes, then wrap the custard using plastic wrap. Make sure the plastic touches the custard so there’s no room for ice to form.

Leave it in the freezer for 3 hours or until firm enough to scoop.

Before you shape the filling, keep in mind that different molds come in different shapes and sizes, so it’s best to measure the height and width of the one you have to ensure each of the wrapped mooncakes fit inside.

Keep the filling and snow skin about 80% of the size of your mold so that when you press down, everything stays in place.

When firm, take the ice cream out and divide it into 10 equal portions (or as many as you can make using the size of your mooncake mold). Wrap them in plastic wrap and form each into balls, then twist the top to seal them in.

Put everything back in the freezer to hold shape while you work on the mochi.

Making the mochi skin

Combine the corn starch, sugar, 100g (0.22 lb) of the glutinous rice flour, milk and condensed milk in a bowl. When mixed well, stir in the oil.

Wrap the bowl with plastic wrap, leaving a small opening for air to escape.

Microwave the batter for 2 minutes, then take it out and stir the mochi to distribute the heat and liquid evenly.

Put the bowl back in and microwave for another 1-2.5 minutes until it forms a thick and springy mochi.

Note: If you don’t want to microwave it, put the mixture in a steamer for 20 minutes or until it has reached the consistency of mochi.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for 1 hour to firm up.

Putting it all together

Put 40 g (0.09 lb) glutinous rice flour in a saucepan and toast it on a low heat for 4 minutes or until it begins to turn yellow.

Use the cooked flour to dust your workspace. Take the cooled mochi out and dust your hands before squeezing it into a long log. Cut the log into the same number of pieces you made your filling (i.e., if you had 10 ice cream balls, divide the log into 10 equal pieces).

Roll each piece into a circle roughly 20 cm (8″) wide or large enough to wrap around the filling. Alternatively, roll them until they’re 5mm (0.2″) thick.

Pro Tip: Lightly dust the surface of the mochi and the rolling pin so it doesn’t stick to each other.

Keep each flattened piece separate using plastic wrap.

When all the dough has been rolled, take the ice cream out. One at a time, take the plastic off the filling and wrap it using the mochi skin. You want to encase the whole ball tightly with no air bubbles. Pinch the top firmly to seal, then cut off any excess dough.

Place the wrapped ball inside the mooncake mold, pinched part facing the opening. Press the mold against a flat surface, hold down firmly and push the handle down until there is resistance. Gently pull the mold up while still pressing down on the handle.

This will separate the mooncake from the mold.

Put the mooncakes back in the freezer to firm up for 30 mins, then serve cold as is!

Recipe FAQs

Tips for the best results

• Whip the cream. Add 1/4 of the thickened cream to the uncooked custard and save the rest to whip until it forms stiff peaks. When the custard has cooled, gently fold the whipped cream in for a lighter texture.
• Don’t make the balls too big. Once that happens, it’s difficult to press into the mold and you can run the risk of breaking the mochi layer wrapping the mooncakes.
• Work quickly. The ice cream starts to melt as soon as you take it out of the freezer, so make sure to have everything ready before you start wrapping. The firmer it is, the easier it is to wrap.

Get festive with these desserts!

• Red Bean Dessert Soup (红豆汤) – Light, nutty and deliciously grainy, this is the ultimate post-banquet sweet soup.
• Sago Soup With Taro (西米露) – It’s fragrant and creamy with beautiful taro aromas that makes eating it the most comforting thing to do on a cold night.
• Taro and Sweet Potato Balls Dessert (九份芋圓) – Just like our Snow Skin Mooncake with Salted Egg Ice Cream Filling, these are incredibly fun to make with the whole family because everyone can help to roll, shape and cook.
• Vietnamese Glutinous Rice Balls (Chè Trôi Nước) – One of my favorite desserts Grandma makes; there’s everything to love about these chewy and decadent rice balls.
• Sticky Rice Pudding with Black Eyed Peas (Chè Đậu Trắng) – This classic rice pudding is ultra luscious, topped with a thick and sweet coconut cream!

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