[Recipe] Baked Durian Mooncakes Using Philips XXL Airfryer

The period leading up to Mid Autumn Festival is always a busy time for me as I am usually buried in the kitchen preparing mooncakes for family and friends using my airfryer.

While I've a tried-and-tested mini mooncake recipe using lotus paste fillings, this time round I decided to change things a little by making them larger and using durian paste fillings instead.

This is now possible because of my new Philips XXL Airfryer (more info here)! It has helped me complete more mini mooncakes and bake large mooncakes too.

Philips XXL Airfryer

Now you must be thinking: Wait, hang on. Did you just say that we can bake mooncakes in the airfryer? Yes! This has been what I have been doing in the last years since I got my first airfryer in 2014.

My old first-version Philips analogue airfryer is still working after 4 years, but I decided to upgrade mine to the new Philips Avance Collection Airfryer XXL HD9654/91 for my new home. Here's why:

New Twin Turbo technology: The powerful heater and motor enables hot air to swirl fast like a tornado, allowing up to 90% of the fat to be extracted from food.
Large capacity: As mentioned earlier, I love this new XXL version for its size. I can now cook more items, fitting up to 1.4kg of fries (previous version: 0.8kg) or one whole chicken.
Multipurpose functionalities: To correct most people's perception about airfryers, apart from frying, this kitchen appliance enables me to bake, grill and roast, as well produce perfectly cooked food every time. Just view my various recipes for cookies and cakes for inspiration!
"Keep Warm" mode: I also like how this new mode allows the heat in food to be retained for up to 30 minutes. Really useful for busy families like mine!

Excited now? Let's start baking our mooncakes in the airfryer! :)

Baked Durian Mooncakes

Yield: 6 large mooncakes, each 7 cm diameter across

Ingredients

(A) Skin
150g top/ cake flour, sifted
100g golden syrup
1 tsp alkaline/ lye water (this helps to make the dough more stretchable and give the skin the golden-brown colour)
40g oil

(B) Filling
720g durian paste
melon seeds (optional)

(C) Egg wash for glazing
1 egg yoke
1 tbsp water

Tools

Philips XXL Airfryer
Large mooncake mould plunger (7 cm diameter across/ 125g-size), with some flour for dusting

Directions

1. Mix.

In a mixing bowl, mix the sifted flour, syrup, oil and alkaline water together. Combine until it forms a soft dough.

2. Rest.

Place a cling wrap on the dough (not over the dough, i.e. no gap between the dough and cling wrap). Leave it in the fridge to rest overnight. This step is known as 醒面.

Tips: The longer you let the dough rest, the easier you can wrap the fillings later.

3. Prepare dough balls.

The next day, divide the dough into 6 balls of 40g each. Return them to the fridge and keep chilled.

4. Prepare paste balls.

Next, divide the durian paste fillings into 6 balls of 120g each. If you are adding melon seeds, add them together with the paste balls.

5. Wrap.

It is now time to start preparing the mooncake balls. Remove 1 of the dough balls from the fridge and roll it out flat on a baking paper.

Wrap the flattened dough around 1 of the paste balls. Shape it into a mooncake ball. Ensure that there are no exposed parts.

(Repeat for the next 5 mooncake balls.)

Tips: Only remove dough balls from the fridge when you are about to use them. Warmed-up dough can become very sticky and difficult to work with!

Before:

After - No exposed parts:

6. Preheat.

Remove the baking pan. Preheat the airfryer using the Manual (M) mode at 180 degrees for 4 min.

7. Dust.

To prepare the plunger, cover the face of the mould generously with flour. Then, pour the excess out. This ensures that the plunger is well-dusted.

8. Press.

Place the mooncake balls, 1 at a time, in the plunger. Press hard so that the impressions can be properly made (this is my favourite part!). Release the plunger and gently place them onto a baking tray.

(Repeat for the next 2 mooncake balls. These 3 mooncakes form Batch 1.)

Tips: I'll recommend that you line the tray with baking paper. This prevents criss-cross lines on the underside of your mooncakes and helps ensure that the mooncakes don't "sink" into the baking tray. Remember to place the 3 mooncakes at the edges of the baking paper, so that the paper does not "fly" up.

9. Spray.

Spray the 3 mooncakes with water to prevent the mooncakes from cracking during baking later.

10. Bake.

Bake Batch 1 using the Manual (M) mode at 180 degrees for 10 min.

11. Prepare egg wash.

Meanwhile, prepare the egg wash by mixing well the 1 egg yolk and 1 tbsp of water.

Tips: To achieve a greater consistency for the egg wash, pass it through a sieve.

12. Cool.

After this first bake, remove the mooncakes from the airfryer and leave them to cool for at least 15 min (do not skip this step).

13. Glaze.

Thereafter, glaze the top and sides of your mooncakes thinly and evenly with the egg wash.

14. Continue baking.

Return the mooncakes to the airfryer. Continue to bake using the Manual (M) mode at 180 degrees for another 4 - 6 min until golden brown.

15. Repeat.

To bake Batch 2 (the remaining 3 mooncakes), repeat steps #8 to 10 and #12 to 14.

16. Store.

Cool the 6 mooncakes completely before storing in an airtight container at room temperature for at least 3 days. This allows the mooncakes to 回油 and the skin to soften. It will also produce a glossy and shiny surface, and the flavours can be better developed.

PS: If your kitchen is too warm, you can store the mooncakes in the fridge sooner.