Pineapple mooncakes

Cut the top off the pineapple and peel it, slicing the skin as thin as possible, then remove the eyes with a paring knife.

Cut off the core, cut it into bite-sized pieces, and crush it finely in a blender with the rest of the flesh. The puree does not need to be super smooth.

Transfer the puree to a non-stick pot. Peel the lemon skin avoiding the white bitter layer, julienne thinly and dice finely.

Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, 125 g sugar and 62 g honey to the pot.

Simmer on medium low 20 to 30 minutes to evaporate most of the moisture, stirring every five minutes so it does not burn at the bottom.

When most of the water is gone, turn the heat to low and stir constantly so the sugar does not burn.

The jam is done when flipping it shows a slight white bottom for a second before fading, or when it weighs 440 to 460 g. Less means the sugar burned; more means the filling will be too soft to wrap.

Cover and chill in the fridge at least 30 minutes or until lukewarm.

In a big mixing bowl combine 125 g inverted syrup, 46 g vegetable oil, half a teaspoon of salt and 13 g lye water and mix until the syrup and oil are well combined.

Add 235 g cake flour and mix with a rubber spatula a few minutes until a smooth dough forms.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and rest it about 30 minutes.

Portion the chilled filling with a round measuring spoon on a zeroed scale, about 25 g each, round them up and chill them so they stay cold and firm.

Divide the wrapper dough into 25 g pieces and roll them into balls.

Poke a thumb into a wrapper ball and spin it into a little bowl, place the filling in, squeeze the wrapper up with forefinger and thumb, pinch closed at the end and roll smooth. Gloves help; the wrapper is sticky.

Dust each ball with a little cake flour, press it in the 50 gram mooncake presser onto a baking paper lined pan, hold a few seconds to set the shape, then release.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, spray the mooncakes with water and bake 8 minutes.

Mix one egg yolk with one tablespoon of water. Brush a thin layer on the surface and sides; too much creates a film that ruins the pattern. Dab excess off with kitchen paper.

Bake 8 more minutes at the same temperature, brush another thin layer of egg yolk, and bake a final 8 to 12 minutes until the wrapper is golden brown. Hers took about 9.

Seal in a container and keep in the fridge for 3 days. This hui you process turns a hard dry wrapper soft and moist, evens the colour and develops the aroma.