Einkorn Five Kernel Mooncakes

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! 中秋节快乐!

So… we have gluten issues in our house! Three of us avoid gluten like the plague or we suffer a great deal. There are a lot of GF choices out there these days, but tasty pastries without a bunch of garbage ingredients are really hard to find and they are insanely expensive! Enter einkorn flour. It is an ancient wheat that still technically contains gluten, but it is much more easily digested and is not sprayed with anything weird. We find it works really well for pastries, with a few tweaks, and it has reignited a love for baking that was once lost to an unfortunate diagnosis.

The main thing to consider when working with einkorn is it can’t really be used as a 1:1 replacement for traditional flour in most things. For cake and other pourable batters, it does okay, but if it’s a dough, you need a bit more flour and it gets super sticky as it sets. With that in mind, plan to use the dough right away – no need to rest these glutens!

EINKORN FIVE KERNEL MOONCAKES

Makes 12 mooncakes

EQUIPMENT NEEDED:
50 gram mooncake press mold
digital food scale
a food processor is helpful
parchment paper
small cookie sheet, bowls, spoons, spatula, measuring spoons

INGREDIENTS:

Filling (300 gr; 200 grams of nuts, 50 grams of dried fruit, 50 grams paste):
40 gr walnuts
40 gr almonds
40 gr pistachios
40 gr pumkin seeds
40 gr sesame seeds (mix of black and white)
25 gr dried cranberries or tart cherries
25 gr candied orange peel
20 gr honey
20 gr avocado oil
10 gr einkorn flour
~1 Tbsp water
1/8 tsp salt

Dough (300 gr):
200 gr einkorn flour
80 gr honey
20 gr avocado oil
1 tsp water
1/8 tsp sodium carbonate (baked baking soda)
1/8 tsp salt

Other:
egg yolk with a splash of water for egg wash
avocado oil spray

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350° F (177° C)

Measure out the nuts and seeds onto your cookie sheet. Toast them in the oven for a few minutes.

While they are toasting, make the paste (honey, oil, flour, water, and salt.)

Chop the dried fruit and peels finely and add them to the paste.

When the nuts and seeds have cooled a little, use a food processor or chop them as finely as you can. Add them to the paste. Add water, if needed, to make the mixture hold together when squeezed.

With wet hands, make 12 25 gram balls. Set aside.

Measure out the honey for the dough in a small bowl. Add the water, sodium carbonate, and salt and mix.

Measure the avocado oil and add to the honey mixture. Mix well.

Measure the einkorn flour and add to the honey and oil mixture. Mix until a sticky dough forms.

With wet hands, make 12 25 gram balls and place on parchment paper.

Press a ball into a thin disc. Gently lift from the parchment and wrap around a ball of filling. Return to the parchment and repeat until all cakes have been prepped.

Spray avocado oil into mold and press the cakes, dropping them directly onto the cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes, then let cool for 5-10. Brush just the tops lightly with egg wash and bake for 5 more minutes.

They are delicious immediately, but it is traditional to let them sit for 3+ days in an air tight container at room temperature to soften before sharing with your loved ones.