It’s that time of the year once again—letting the prettiest packaging win you over when buying mooncakes for the family and eating more lotus paste in a month than you do for the entirety of the year. While it’s a pity that such traditions cannot come to fruition this year, I’ve found that crafting mooncakes at home makes for a great new tradition, especially if you’re looking for a way to get in some quality bonding time with the family. If the hassle of baking turns you off, Gobblin Club’s Moon Bunnies Mooncake Making Kit (S$28) is the perfect all-in-one kit that requires no baking, so you can have maximum fun and minimum fuss with the family.
What I tried
The Moon Bunnies Mooncake Making Kit promises a fuss-free experience suitable for young children by providing all the materials needed for the assembly and decoration of three mooncakes. It’s a good time to keep the storytelling traditions alive with tales of familiar folklore—how the jade rabbit’s piousness and self-sacrificial acts of service moved Buddha, who was disguised as a hungry man.
He then made the rabbit immortal and sent her to live in the Moon Palace with the goddess, Chang’e. My version here is extremely abridged, but the complete one would be perfect to listen to when snacking on these Moon Bunny Mooncakes.
Each Moon Bunnies kit comes with three surprise colours that become visible after they’re mixed with water. It’s the perfect bonding activity with younger siblings or cousins because all necessary materials are provided, from the mixing trays down to the spatulas.
All you need to do is add water and shortening to the flour, give it a good mix, and watch the snowskin paste gradually take on pastel-toned hues.
The perfectionist in me got upset that my little ears, feet, and hands didn’t turn out as neatly as the one in the sample photos, but I guess one thing I learnt about making mooncakes on your own (or in this case, with my younger sister helping me out) is that having fun matters more than symmetrical perfection. Sometimes the moon bunnies (mine, specifically) will turn out looking like a Pokémon character, and that’s all part of the experience.
There are no mooncake moulds to replicate the same perfectly shaped flowers you’ll find in commercially retailed mooncakes, just your hands and a stiff ball of lotus paste that softens when you knead and roll it. Each lotus paste ball is then wrapped in a thin layer of the snowskin, before the little rabbit’s ears, hands, and feet are attached.
If I’m being totally honest, this part reminded me why I write about food instead of preparing it.
When you’re all done, give your pastel-coloured Moon Bunny mooncake a little cardboard mooncake to pose with, a winning smile, some eyes, and a nose. And just like that, these no-bake treats are ready for an oh-so-cute Instagram photo. Pop it into the fridge for a couple of hours for a perfect dessert after dinner.
Unlike traditional mooncake recipes, these favour simplicity in the assembly process—you’re unable to make the lotus paste less or more sweet according to your preference, but my sweet tooth was sufficiently satisfied with this.
Final thoughts
I’d say that the Moon Bunnies Mooncake Making Kit gives you a great opportunity to get young ones into the Mid Autumn spirit, especially since the block parties and lantern walks that we all know and loved as children are put on hold once again. While it cannot replicate the indulgent experience of biting into a fresh mooncake baked with your favourite fillings, this kit definitely makes for an affordable yet fun way to spend a weekend afternoon at home.
Expected damage: S$28 per kit
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