WHERE TO BUY MOONCAKE RECIPES

Steps:

• For the lotus paste: Place the dried lotus seeds in a medium bowl and cover with plenty of room temperature water. Let the seeds soak and rehydrate for at least 6 hours, and preferably overnight.
• Rinse the lotus seeds under cold water, then split them in half to remove and discard the green sprout in the center (they are very bitter). Transfer the seeds to a large pot and fill with plenty of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low and simmer until the seeds are tender enough to smash with a fork, about 1 hour. Drain well, then transfer the seeds to a food processor while they are still warm, add 3/4 cup sugar and puree until very smooth. (Add 1 to 2 tablespoons water if necessary to get a very smooth texture). Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl. 
• Melt 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening and the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, then cook until caramelized and deep golden, about 5 minutes. Add the lotus puree and cook, stirring continuously, until most of the moisture has been cooked out and the puree is similar in texture to thick mashed potatoes, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the remaining 1/3 cup vegetable shortening, then continue to cook, stirring continuously, until all of the shortening has fully incorporated and the paste is very thick, glossy and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 6 minutes more. (The final lotus paste should be amber brown in color and almost stretchy in texture.) Transfer to a medium bowl and let cool completely. 
• For the mooncake dough: Meanwhile, whisk together the golden syrup, alkaline water and vegetable oil in a large bowl until combined. Add the cake and all-purpose flours, then stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Gently knead the dough until it comes together completely, then wrap in plastic wrap and set aside to rest, about 45 minutes. 
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
• Divide the lotus paste into 12 equal pieces (each about 2 1/2 tablespoons) and roll into golf ball-size balls. Place on a plate and chill in the refrigerator, 20 to 30 minutes. The colder the balls, the easier it will be to shape the mooncakes.  
• Roll about 1 tablespoon of the mooncake dough into a ball, then place between 2 pieces of parchment paper that have been lightly dusted with flour. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough to about 1/8 inch thick and 3 1/2 to 4 inches wide. Place one of the lotus paste balls in the center of the dough, and shape the dough around it, pinching the edges to seal. Roll the ball in your hands to smooth the exterior. 
• Place the assembled ball in a plastic 2-inch wide miniature mooncake press mold, then turn the press upright on your work surface. Press the plunger down until you feel resistance, then lift the mooncake mold off the table and use the plunger to carefully press the mooncake out. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, then refrigerate while you make the remaining mooncakes in the same manner. 
• Bake the mooncakes until the tops are no longer shiny and the dough has just set, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes. Whisk the egg together with a splash of water in a small bowl, then brush over the tops and sides of each mooncake. Return to the oven and bake until deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let cool on the baking sheet 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Enjoy fresh or store in an airtight container for 2 days (they'll get shinier as they sit).

Steps:

• Slice the chicken breast thinly, which allows the marinade to mingle faster and it will also cook faster.
• Slice a few garlic thinly and julienne a little bit of ginger. Put them into the chicken as part of the marinade. If you don’t like to actually bite into the ginger, you can grate it finely so it is not too strong for you.
• Season it with 1/3 tsp of salt, 1/2 tbsp of Chinese cooking wine, some black pepper to taste, and 1/3 tsp of baking soda, sprinkle it here and there. Baking soda will break down the meat fibers and tenderize the chicken. It will give you that melt in your mouth texture. Mix well. Set it aside.
• You can use whatever vegetables you have left in your fridge. I am using carrot, bell pepper, a few mushrooms, some snow peas, and some scallions. If you think cutting vegetables is too much work, you can just buy a pack of pre-cut, mixed vegetables from the supermarket. If you are a meat-eater, you can even skip most of the vegetables and toss in some scallions and onion at the end for the flavor.
• Combine all the sauce ingredients thoroughly: 1.5 tbsp of Soy sauce, 1.5 tbsp of dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp of Oyster sauce, 1 tbsp Hoisin sauce, 1 tbsp of Chinese cooking wine, 1/2 tbsp of pure peanut butter, and 1/2 cup of water.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles until 80% done. Drain completely. Do not over cooked the noodles otherwise they will turn soggy when you finish them in the wok with that lomein sauce.
• Meanwhile, turn the heat to high and heat your wok until smoking hot. Toss in the marinade chicken and stir for 2 minutes or until it just changes color. Add all the vegetables except for the scallions. continue to stir for 1 minute. Add the well-drained noodles along with the lomein sauce. Keep stirring over medium heat until all the sauce is absorbed. As soon as the sauce is gone, you have to turn off the heat. Otherwise the noodles will start sticking to the wok.
• Add the scallions and serve.