Khanom Pia (Mooncakes)

Autumn has arrived with its flurry of busyness and activities. Halloween decorations are out, and our thoughts are filled with upcoming family time. The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the earlier gatherings of the season, typically falling between September or October. It’s also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival and celebrates the end of autumn harvest. Family gather, share mooncakes, and admire the moon. Similar festivals are celebrated throughout east and southeast Asia.

Khanom pia or hopia or pia cakes are mooncakes introduced to Southeast Asia by Chinese diaspora. They have flaky crust and a sweet filling like mung beans paste. Some versions feature ube, pandan paste, durian, or even salted egg yolks. There are many variations on the pastry. Some versions of khanom pia get a distinctive flavor from lit scented candles like you would a smoker.

The version shared here is a basic pia cake. Mooncakes are probably one of my favorite Asian pastries. I enjoy making these even outside of Autumn. They freeze well and can be made ahead.

Notes:

Dough – the dough used in this recipe is a version of Chinese puff pastry. It’s essentially laminated dough. Traditionally, you may find oil or lard are used in the dough. I prefer the rich buttery taste. I used butter for my recipe. If you want to use shortening or lard, it’s a 1:1 ratio to the butter. If using oil, you’ll need about ½ cup in place of the stick and half of butter.

Mung beans – I prefer to steam cook the mung beans. However, they can be cooked however you normally cook mung beans. The mung beans can be boiled instead of steamed, but you tend to lose mung beans as they disintegrate the water and then are strained away.
Make ahead – the process as a whole can be cumbersome, but both the dough and the filling can be made two to three days ahead of time. Keep them chilled in the fridge until you are ready to assemble. Split up the process and make part or all ahead of time and then assemble before baking!
Storage – keep the finished mooncakes in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days. They can be stored in the fridge for a week or two. Wrap them and place in airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before enjoying.

Dried Mung Beans available on Amazon

Time: 2 hours
Yields: 24-26 pia cakes

Dough A (Oil/Butter Dough)
1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon (12.5g) granulated sugar
12 tablespoons (169g) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes or shortening or ½ cup of neutral oil

Dough B (Water Dough)
1 ¼ cup (150g) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 large egg
3-4 tablespoons cold water, plus more if needed

Filling
1 cup dried split mung beans, soaked at least 20-30 minutes
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1-2 tablespoons oil – to cook excess liquid, optional – if needed

Egg wash

• Prepare dough A (butter dough), by combining flour and sugar in a medium bowl. Add in the butter and mix by hand or use pastry cutter until you get a coarse crumb texture that looks almost like almond flour with pieces of butter still visible. Press dough together to form a flat rectangle and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Prepare dough B (water dough) by combining flour, sugar, and salt. Mix. Make a well in the center. Then add the egg. Slowly add in the water; one tablespoon at a time and mix until combined before adding more. Knead until smooth. Form into a flat rectangle about the same size as dough A. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• While the doughs chill in the fridge, prepare the filling.
• Steam the mung beans for 25-30 minutes or until soft and mashes easily between fingers when pressed. While the beans are still warm, mash the mung beans and mix with sugar and salt. The warmth will help dissolve the sugar. If needed, cook the filling in a pan with a little bit of neutral oil to remove any excess liquid. Roll into one-inch balls. Set aside.
• Remove the dough from the fridge. Roll dough B (water dough) into a large rectangle, at least 2-3 times the size of dough A (butter dough). Place dough A in the center, on top of dough B. Then fold the two ends of dough B over dough A like folding a letter.
• Roll the combined dough into a rectangle and fold into thirds like folding a letter. Roll out again. Repeat at least three or four more times, to create the layers. If you find the dough getting warm, place the dough back in the refrigerator and let it chill before continuing.
• After the third or fourth time, roll the dough into a large rectangle. Using a 2-inch biscuit cutter, cut out circles about twice as large as the filling. Roll the circles out if needed. Place the filling in the center of the circle and smooth the dough around it.
• Preheat oven to 375℉.
• Brush the tops of the cakes with an egg wash.
• Bake in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the cakes are golden.
• Let cool. Enjoy!