Milk Tea Snowy Mooncake

Instructions

Milk Tea Custard

1. Pour the milk and sugar into a small saucepot and place over medium heat until just barely boiling (it should not foam over and remember to constantly stir so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot!)
2. Remove from heat and then pour in the black tea leaves and cover with a lid
3. Allow the tea leaves to steep in the milk for ~7 minutes 
4. In a small bowl, combine the flour and cornstarch
5. In another bowl, whisk together the egg yolks
6. Pour the dry ingredients into the whisked egg yolks and mix until combined
7. Once the tea is done steeping, strain out the leaves and then slowly pour in the warm milk into the egg yolk mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, and whisk together
8. Keep pouring in the warm milk into the egg yolk mixture until all of the milk is incorporated and you end up with a thin, smooth custard base
9. Pour this custard into a small saucepot and place over medium heat 
10. Constantly stir the custard until it thickens (~5-10 minutes)
11. Keep stirring the custard over heat until you're able to see the bottom of the pot (custard will just magically thicken at some time point so keep watch!)
12. Remove from heat and stir in the butter until it is fully incorporated
13. Transfer the custard to a deep plate and cover with plastic wrap (push the plastic wrap down so that it touches the top of the custard)
14. Then refrigerate until completely cooled (1-2 hours)

Snow Skin Wrapper

1. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients (glutinous rice flour, rice flour, cornstarch, and powdered sugar)
2. In a small bowl, combine the wet ingredients (milk and oil)
3. Slowly pour the wet ingredients from the small bowl, into the dry ingredients in the medium bowl and stir until it is well combined (the resultant mixture should be quite thin)
4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a steamer for ~20 minutes
5. After 15 minutes, insert a knife into the dough and if it comes out clean with the dough feeling firm, then it is ready to remove (if not, allow to steam for a couple more minutes)
6. Remove the bowl from the steamer and allow to cool for 5 minutes
7. Transfer the dough to a cleaned surface and knead by hand until it is smooth and no longer sticky (no extra oil or flour should be needed)
8. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until cool to the touch

Brown Sugar Boba

1. Boil the boba balls in a small sauce pot for 30 minutes
2. Drain out the liquid and then pour in the brown sugar and stir until it has all melted
3. Allow the boba to soak in the brown sugar for 10 minutes

Assembly

1. Place the remaining 1/4 cup of glutinous rice flour into a small pan and toast over medium heat until it starts to smell nutty and turns slightly brown
2. Remove from heat and reserve for dusting later
3. While the dough chills in the fridge, remove the cooled milk tea custard
4. Form the custard into balls by taking a heaping tablespoon of each and shaping it with your hands (optionally fill the centers of the custard balls with brown sugar boba!)
5. Once all the custard balls are formed, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mooncake dough is cooled
6. Remove the mooncake dough from the fridge and shape it into 1 tablespoon round balls as well
7. Take a dough ball and place it onto a clean surface
8. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a ~4in disk
9. Place a custard ball in the center of the dough and wrap the skin around the custard, creating a nice seal at the base
10. Roll the mooncake ball around in the toasted glutinous rice flour and shake off any excess
11. Lightly dust the inside of your mooncake mold with the toasted glutinous rice flour
12. Place the mooncake ball into the mold, seam side away from the pattern and press firmly into the mold
13. Remove and then repeat the above steps with the rest of the dough balls
14. Keep these mooncakes refrigerated in an airtight container as they're best served cold!