Chapter 92: Chapter 92 Mooncakes Baked (2)_1 Chapter 92: Chapter 92 Mooncakes Baked (2)_1 The filling for this mooncake is the traditional five-nut variety.

Lin Yuan took a taste, quite fresh, but the flavor, well, it wasn’t as good as the one she made herself.

Therefore, she added some sugar, oil, and roasted sesame seeds to it.

Only then did the five-nut filling become perfect.

Naturally, she bought the sesame from Sister Gui Zhi who, although reluctant to accept money, was finally persuaded by Lin Yuan’s methods to take it.

With the traditional five-nut filling ready, she also prepared red beans and jujubes.

She soaked the red beans in a small pot overnight and would just need to cook them and stir-fry them with oil the next day.

The jujube paste, however, was more labor-intensive as, besides peeling and pitting them, she had to pound the cooked jujubes into a mush.

Even though she purchased a good amount of jujubes, she didn’t plan on making too much because of the time it would take and the effort it would expend, as there was no one in her household suitable for the lengthy task of pounding jujube paste.

Actually, she wanted to make some double yolk mooncakes as well.

Although these mooncakes would consume two eggs each, they were cherished for their auspicious meaning.

Moreover, in the past few days, Aunt Wang and Third Aunt had collected quite a few eggs for her.

Making ten double yolk mooncakes should not be a problem.

As for the molds, she selected “Heart to Heart” and “Happy Marriage”.

Early the next morning, Lin Yuan started to get busy.

The soaked red beans had expanded significantly overnight, and a good rub with her hands allowed her to peel them.

She then filled a large pot halfway with water to boil the beans.

After bringing it to a boil over high heat, she let it simmer for half an hour to ensure the beans were thoroughly cooked.

“If only I had a pressure cooker,” she murmured to herself as she scooped the beans into a basin to cool down.

Lin Yuan then placed the jujube flesh that she and Lady Liu had just prepared into a pot to steam.

Jujubes cook faster than red beans, and soon they were ready and filled just over three bowls.

Lin Yuan estimated that once pounded into a paste, it would yield about a bowl and a half—enough for ten mooncakes.

Lin Changqing arrived early in the morning.

On his first day as an apprentice, he wasn’t required to do any actual work yet.

He had to start with the basics.

After Lin Jiaxin had given him a half-day’s instruction and was tired and rested, Lin Changqing found himself free, which incidentally came as a boon for Lin Yuan.

Wasn’t that like getting a free laborer?

With Lin Changqing responsible for the difficult task of making jujube paste, Lin Wei summoned Lan Hua as well, who, together with Lin Yuan, took on the task of pounding the red beans.

Since mooncakes made from red bean paste were delicious and the preparation simple, she had soaked a considerable amount of red beans.

Everyone was busy until noon and still had not finished.

The Lanhua Siblings mentioned going home for lunch and returning to continue working, but Lin Yuan adamantly refused to let them leave.

She had them continue working while she herself went to make dough and cook pancakes.

Lin Changqing’s role was just to help with the jujube paste.

After that, there was nothing left for him to do, and considering he was her father’s apprentice, essentially her half-brother, Lin Yuan had no qualms about getting a bit of free labor out of him.

However, the case with Lan Hua was different.

Despite their good relationship and having agreed in advance to help, they still had to make mooncakes and tofu—it was clear that just Lin Wei and she would not suffice.

Hence, Lin Yuan decided to bring Lan Hua into the fold as well.

Because the mooncakes had not been sold yet, Lin Yuan was unsure if she would make any money, so she could not boast to Lan Hua about how much silver she would give her.

She could only promise to pay her the highest helper rate in town for now.

If the mooncakes sold well, she would also give her a bonus.

Though Lin Yuan’s mooncakes were uniquely styled, Lan Hua did not expect to make a fortune and agreed with a laugh.

It was not until Lin Yuan made a significant profit from these mooncakes and even opened her own pastry shop that Lan Hua was genuinely astonished.

Once the red beans were pounded, it was time to stir-fry them.

The red bean paste had to be oily enough; otherwise, the mooncakes might crack during baking.

Lin Yuan stir-fried the red beans in a large pot, adding oil until the paste became sticky and fragrant.

Of course, she didn’t forget to add sugar at the end.

After preparing the jujube paste as well, Lin Yuan started to work on the eggs, boiling and peeling them, keeping just the yolks.

As for the egg whites, they naturally ended up in the belly of a certain little glutton.

Ideally, salty duck egg yolks would be best, but since duck eggs were hard to find, she would consider brining some salty chicken eggs when conditions allowed.

Packing mooncakes was simple, just like wrapping buns.

She would wrap the filling in dough to form a round ball and then imprint it with a mold; a pretty little mooncake was done.

Looking at the variety of mooncakes on the table, Lan Hua couldn’t help drooling as she exclaimed, “These aren’t just mooncakes, they’re prettier than jewelry!”

Xiao Linshuang couldn’t resist poking one and feeling another, her little fingertips gently tracing the patterns carved on the surface of the mooncakes, giggling with delight.

Since it was her first attempt at making mooncakes, Lin Yuan didn’t bake too many, just about a dozen to taste.

She also hadn’t used the makeshift oven before, so it was perfect for an experiment.

She baked the mooncakes in two batches; the first batch helped her get a feel for the oven’s temperament.

Therefore, the flavor of the first batch baked wasn’t particularly good—they had to be put back in the oven after initially being underbaked, yet, this time they were left too long and became slightly burnt.

Luckily, the filling was still fine, so they were adequate to eat.

With the experience from the first batch, the second batch of mooncakes turned out much better.

Even before they were out of the oven, a fresh fragrance filled the air.

Not only did Lin Wei and her sister rush over, but even Lan Hua almost stuck her face into the oven.

The mooncakes were a great success, and with three or four days left until the Mid-Autumn Festival, these mooncakes would keep for a good while.

So, Lin Yuan baked all the remaining mooncakes, all set to sell them in town the next day.