As one of the most famous flavors of moon cakes, mooncake is named "Five-kernel" meaning it contains almonds, walnuts, peanuts, sesame seeds, and melon seeds.

As per Wikipedia:

Five kernel (五仁, wǔ rén) is a popular Chinese pastry filling made from a mixture of coarsely chopped nuts and seeds. The specific ingredients used can vary depending on the region, but common choices include walnuts, pumpkin seeds, watermelon seeds, peanuts, sesame seeds, or almonds. The mixture is held together with maltose syrup and may also include additional ingredients such as candied winter melon, jinhua ham, or pieces of rock sugar for added flavor. The five kernel filling is often used in traditional Chinese pastries and sweets such as mooncakes and glutinous rice balls.

Ingredients

• Golden syrup
• Lye water
• vegetable oil
• All-purpose flour (plain flour)

Instructions

1. Combine golden syrup, lye water, and vegetable oil.
2. Add the sifted low flour, and mix well to form a dough as moon cake dough.
3. Cover with plastic wrap and leave for 1-2 hours.
4. Divide the dough and mooncake filling according to the ratio of 2:8 or 3:7 according to your mold. At a ratio of 3:7, I divided the crust dough into 18g/pc and 48g/pc of five-kernel filling.
5. Take 1 pie crust and roll it out, wrap it in the filling and fold it up.
6. Put the cake flour into the mold and turn it around so that the sides of the mold are coated with cake flour, then pour in the excess cake flour, put the wrapped cake into the mold, and press it flat.
7. Take the pressed cake blank out of the mold and place it in a baking tray, and bake it in a preheated oven at 200 degrees for 5 minutes to set the pattern on the cake blank.
8. After rinsing the egg on the cake base, turn down the fire by 10 degrees and continue to bake for 12-15 minutes until the cake is golden brown.
9. Put the baked mooncakes on a cooling rack to cool and store them in an airtight container. After 2-3 days, you can eat them after returning to the oil.

FAQs

What is the return of oil?

The main purpose of oiling mooncakes is to make the crust absorb some of the moisture in the air and oil in the filling. So that the crust becomes more fluffy and moist, and the taste is better. Generally, the mooncakes can be placed directly at room temperature in a cool and dry place.
However, it should be noted that mooncakes are rich in nutrients and can easily harbor bacteria and microorganisms that can cause deterioration. If the weather is hot, it is best to put them in the refrigerator for the return of oil.

Can you eat mooncakes without the return of oil?

The mooncakes are fully cooked when they are first baked, so they can be eaten without the return of oil. But it is important to note that if the mooncakes are not oiled, the connection between the crust and the filling will not be very tight. And the slag may fall off when you eat them, so the mooncakes can be eaten without the return of oil. But there is no difference between them and ordinary cakes, and they do not have the flavor of mooncakes at all. Therefore, it is recommended to eat the mooncakes after they have been oiled.