I have always been a supporter of traditional mooncakes - those brown, oven (or airfryer) baked ones. Whilst snowskin mooncakes are beautiful, I am always wary of the colourings and shortening required to make them. 

However, this one video from Food Recipe changed my mind. I was blown away by how healthy and cheap it was (the ingredients' cost for the 20 mini mooncakes was just S$10). Lo and behold, it was really easy too. As easy as what the video portrayed. 

As Food Recipe did not include the recipe, I have done up my version, with slight tweaks. I have also downloaded the video below for your easy viewing. Full credits to this video for the inspiration. 

Purple Sweet Potato Mooncakes

Yields 20 mini mooncakes (50g each)

Ingredients

Skin

700g purple sweet potato, peeled

40g water + a handful of blue pea flowers + a slice of lemon (otherwise, only 40g water is okay)

Filling

500g white lotus paste, ready-made 

Tool

Mooncake plunger*

 

* If you are in Singapore, these items can be purchased from Phoon Huat or Kwong Cheong Thye (KCT). Click here for my review of KCT.

Directions

1) Cut the sweet potato into slices.

 

 

2) Boil for 15min until soft. 

3) Using the back of your fork, mash until fine. Run the fork several times through the potato to ensure that no hard parts remain. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

4) (Optional) Meanwhile, prepare the blue pea water. Steep the flowers in hot boiling water for 30 min.

 

5) Prepare the lotus paste fillings. Make 20 balls of 25g each.

6) (Optional) If preparing blue pea water, by now, the water would have turned fully blue. Add lemon and the water will turn purple.

7) The sweet potato should be ready for removal from refrigerator. Add 20g of (blue pea) water and mix well.

8) Make 20 balls of sweet potato, 25g each. Refrigerate for 15 min.

9) Flatten the sweet potato balls and wrap around the lotus paste filling. Refrigerate for another 15 min.

Tips: If the sweet potato balls still feel a little dry, add a little more (blue pea) water. There should still be 20g of water leftover.

10) Place the mooncake balls, 1 at a time, into mooncake mould plunger. Press hard so that the impression can be properly made (this is my favourite part!). Release the plunger and gently place them onto your plate.

Tips: Keep the mooncake balls in the fridge until only when about to place them in the plunger. The design will become more defined :) 

Keep the mooncakes in fridge till ready to serve. In fact, best eaten chilled. It's so smooth, it will almost melt-in-the-mouth :)

  

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For our Traditional Mooncake recipe with video, check out our link.
 

For more recipes using blue pea flowers, check out our link.

Recipe

Yield: 1 dish of jellies

Directions

2. Steep the dried blue pea flowers in 80ml of hot water for 30 min. Using a fork, "squeeze" the flowers occasionally to maximise the blue colouring from the flowers.

3. (Optional) If you like a more refreshing tinge to your jelly, squeeze the lemon slices.

4. Boil 400ml of water in a pot. 

5. Once the water is boiling, gradually add jelly powder and sugar.

 

6. Add the coloured water (without the flowers) into the boiling water as well. Stir well until the jelly powder dissolves.

7. When all the jelly powder and sugar have dissolved, scoop the mixture into your mould. Let the jelly cool down to room temperature and chill in fridge for at least 5 hours until the jelly is set.

8. When ready, remove the jellies from the mould. Flip it the other way, so that the rounded longan side is facing up. You are now ready to serve!

 

If you have tried this recipe too, share your photos with us!

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For more recipes using blue pea flowers, check out our link.

Btw, should you want to buy any dried blue pea flowers, just email us to check on availability! 

Mention blue pea/ butterfly pea plant (or "clitoria ternatea" as it is known biologically) and not everyone may know what you are talking about. But if you have seen Thai blue rice, kueh salat (custard kaya glutinous rice cake) or pulut tai tai (nyonya steamed blue glutinous rice) before, that's the plant from which the natural blue food dye is extracted from. 

Traditionally, the blue pea flower is valued for its medicinal benefits. High in antioxidants, it can help in detoxification, improving eyesight and enhancing memory, as well as reducing stress and depression.

It is a creeping plant, and once its growth is stable, can grow very fast  (almost like weeds!). While I have failed in growing it before, I am fortunate that this current one is pretty healthy and I usually can pluck at least 20 flowers every evening.

Should you lay your hands on these beautiful fresh flowers, sun them out to dry and you can use them any time you want.

To enjoy these nature's wonders, the simplest thing you can do is to make refreshing Blue Pea Flower Tea with Lemon. You can also use this caffeine-free tea for a (Disney) Frozen themed party or simply let the kids watch in awe how the tea's colour changes!

P.S.: If you don't grow the plant, you should be able to purchase the dried flowers commercially in tea packs too. 

Ingredients

Lemon, 5 slices

Blue pea flowers, 12 to 15 (dried or fresh flowers are okay)

Hot boiling water, 750ml

Directions

1) Pour hot water over the flowers. The water will turn deep blue.

2) Add the lemon slices. The water will turn into a rich violet colour.

3) Let the tea sit for 15 min and stir occasionally. You will see the petals becoming pale/ white, as the blue colour oozes out.

4) Serve hot or with ice. Enjoy! 

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