Moon food by Shiro Shine

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

There are many different rituals associated with the Moon. And there are just as many different foods!

I welcome you to share any recipes you may have that you have incorporated into your Moon practices.

 

(Cakes to be eaten at full Moons)

Traditional Chinese moon cakes are round like their namesake and are usually filled with red bean paste, lotus seed paste or coconut. This non filled version is crunchy and sweet, and a little more familiar to American palates.

* 1 cup butter
* 2/3 cup sugar
* 1 egg
* 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 tsp. salt
* 1 tsp. vanilla extract
* Vanilla frosting
* Grated coconut (optional)

Cream the butter and sugar. Stir in the egg, add the flour, salt and vanilla extract, then let chill for a few hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thickness and cut out circles with a 3-inch cookie cutter. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until just brown. Frost when cooled and sprinkle grated coconut

 

 

Since honey is a common offering to Moon Goddesses, I liked the idea of this recipe:

 

Tiessennau Mel (Welsh Honey Cakes)

* 4 oz Honey
* 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
* 4 oz Brown sugar
* Egg
* 1/2 LB Flour
* 1/2 teaspoon Bicarbonate of soda
* 4 oz Butter or margarine
* Caster sugar,a very fine sugar sold as superfine,or confectioner or powered if you can not find it If you don’t have any castor sugar on hand, you can make your own by grinding granulated sugar for a couple of minutes in a food processor (this also produces sugar dust, so let it settle for a few moments before opening the food processor).
* A little milk

Sieve together flour, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda. Cream butter and sugar. Separate the egg yolk from the white. Beat the yolk into sugar and butter, then add the honey, gradually. Stir in the flour with a little milk as required and mix all together lightly.

Whisk the egg white into a stiff froth and fold into mixture. Half fill small patty tins with the mixture; dredge the top of each with caster sugar. Bake in a hot oven (425 degrees)

 

"Moon Biscuits"

Moon Biscuits are traditionally eaten with wine during various moon
celebrations or rituals. They are made in the shape of the crescent moon,
and the whole hazelnuts in them represent the Full Moon that is to come.

250g/9oz Wholewheat Flour
75g/3oz Soft Light Brown Sugar
175g/6oz Butter or Vegan Marg
A Large Handful of Hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 300F or 150C.

• Beat the butter or margarine with the sugar until blended.
• Add the flour, and mix together to form a dough.
• Knead on a floured surface.
• Gently work the whole hazelnuts through it, flatten out to a depth of about half an inch.
• If you have a moon-shaped pastry cutter, use this to form the biscuits.
• However, you may want to cut the moon shapes yourself with a small sharp knife.
• You can even add a few features, or Moon symbols, to the surface.
• Place the biscuits on a baking sheet, and put in the oven until light golden brown.

 

 

I made these with a spiral on them for a Full Moon ritual.

This recipe for Mooncakes comes from Shanghai. Originally made in moon cake
molds with imprints such as chrysanthemum pattern or other traditional Chinese
characters. They should be about three inches (seven centimeters) in diameter.
Before baking - invent and draw your own "traditional patterns"!

4 cups flour
4 tbsp. brown sugar
half tsp. salt
4oz (11Og) margarine
1 egg
1 tsp. sesame oil

For the filling:
2 tbsp. peanuts
2 tbsp. sesame seeds
2 tbsp. walnuts or pine nuts
2 tbsp. chestnuts, boiled until tender, or blanched almonds
2 tbsp. sultanas or other dried fruit, chopped
2 tbsp. chopped dried apricots
4 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. Margarine
2 tbsp. rice flour or poppy seeds

Preheat oven to 400F or 200C - Recipe makes about 15 cakes.

• Sift the flout, sugar and salt together.
• Chop the margarine into pieces and rub into the flour until crumbs form.
• Add enough hot water (about half a cup) to make a pastry dough.
• Cover with a cloth.
• Roast the peanuts in a hot pan for two minutes.
• Add the sesame seeds, then put a lid on to stop them from jumping out of the pan.
• Roast for a further two minutes.
• Put the peanuts and seeds in a food processor or blender and grind with the other nuts.
• Add to the rest of the filling ingredients and mix together.
• Roll out the pastry on a floured board.
• Cut rounds with a pastry cutter to fill the mold - if you have one - or make little pie cases.
• Rub the mold with margarine and spread pastry over the bottom and sides of the mold.
• Put in a tablespoon of filling. Press down gently.
• Wet the edges of the pastry and cover with another round to make a lid.
• Seal together, and remove from the mold if you are using one.
• Put all the cakes on a greased baking sheet.

Beat the eggs and sesame oil together and brush each cake with this mixture.

• Bake about thirty minutes until the cakes are golden brown.