Opening a Tavern in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 154 Lotus Seed Paste Mooncakes, Red Bean Paste Mooncakes, Jujube Paste Mooncakes

In the backyard of Zuixianlou, sunlight falls gently like golden gauze, dappling the small world. Everyone is preparing to make delicious lotus seed paste mooncakes.

Xiaoyu stood in the middle of the yard, tying her apron tighter, a gentle smile on her face: "Today we have to make these lotus seed mooncakes properly. This is a delicate job."

As she spoke, she happily tucked the hair on her forehead behind her ears with her hands.

Yu Yu, wearing a pink dress, skipped to the bamboo basket where the lotus seeds were placed.

She squatted down, picked up a lotus seed and held it in front of her eyes. The lotus seed shone slightly in the sunlight, like a small pearl.

"Mom, look at these lotus seeds, they are so plump!" Yu Yu's eyes curved into crescents, full of joy.

She put the lotus seeds to her nose and sniffed them. The faint fragrance made her smile even brighter.

Li Hao helped prepare the tools. He hummed a little tune as he placed the steamer, stone mortar, etc. in order, and joked with Cheng Chumo and Qin Huaidao from time to time.

Cheng Chumo and Qin Huaidao were wearing light clothes today.

Cheng Chumo held a fan and fanned it gently, saying gracefully, "I must learn how to make lotus seed paste mooncakes today."

Qin Huaidao nodded in agreement, his eyes full of curiosity.

Yu Yu was busy boiling water. The flames in the stove licked the bottom of the pot, and the water in the pot gurgled and bubbled with steam.

Yuyu wiped the sweat from her forehead and said to Ah Fu, "We need to make the fire burn brighter. We can't let the lotus seeds get too hot when we steam them later."

Chef Mi stood aside, watching them busy themselves, with a gratified smile on his face.

He would occasionally give some pointers: "These lotus seeds need to be soaked for a while to remove the astringency."

Yu Yu soaked the lotus seeds in clean water as instructed by Chef Mi. She stared at the lotus seeds intently, as if she was guarding a precious treasure.

After a while, she reached out and gently stirred the water, and the lotus seeds rolled in the water like a group of naughty elves.

"Mom, it's ready to be steamed!" Yu Yu shouted loudly, her voice clear and loud.

Xiaoyu came over, checked the lotus seeds, and nodded. Everyone worked together to pick the lotus seeds out of the water and put them into the steamer.

The steamer was placed above the steaming pot, and white vapor immediately spread out, covering everything around it.

Li Hao stood beside the steamer, his brows furrowed, his eyes difficult to open due to the rising steam.

He waved the fan in his hand quickly, creating a small breeze.

The wind struggled to move through the water vapor, but it only made the water vapor roll more wildly: "Cough cough cough..."

Li Hao was choked by the steam blowing in his face, and he bent down and started coughing violently.

His face turned red from coughing, and tears welled up in his eyes. He looked a little embarrassed, but also a little persistent, determined to dispel the annoying moisture for everyone.

Chef Mi took the soft red beans out of the pot. The red beans were plump, as if they had absorbed sweet juice.

He drained the red beans and poured them into a mortar.

Ah Fu picked up the stone pestle and began to grind it vigorously, hitting the mortar rhythmically again and again.

As the stone pestle rose and fell, the red beans gradually turned into a fine paste, and the rich bean fragrance wafted in the air.

Xiaoyu took the ground red bean paste, poured it into the hot pot, and added appropriate amount of sugar and other secret seasonings.

The spatula in her hand kept stirring in the pot, and the red bean paste rolled and jumped in the pot like a ball of passionate flame.

Xiaoyu stared at the pot intently, her eyes full of seriousness. Fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. She wiped them with her sleeves from time to time, for fear that the sweat would drip into the pot.

When slowly stir-fried over low heat, the color of the red bean paste becomes deeper and richer, and the attractive luster seems to be telling of its deliciousness.

Cheng Chumo leaned in to smell it and exclaimed, "This bean paste smells so fragrant, it makes my mouth water just by smelling it."

Qin Huaidao also nodded, his eyes fixed on the red bean paste in the pot.

After a while, the bean paste filling was fried, and it was bright red in color and as delicate as the finest rouge.

Yuyu dipped her finger into a little red bean paste and put it into her mouth. She took a sip and a happy smile appeared on her face: "Wow, the sweetness is just right, not greasy. This red bean paste is amazing!"

Li Hao couldn't wait to taste it and praised it repeatedly. His satisfied expression seemed as if he had already eaten the mooncake made with the red bean paste.

In front of Yu Yu was a large bowl of bright red dates, each one was plump and round, shining like a ruby.

She sat on a small stool and began to process the red dates with a focused look.

The slender fingers flexibly picked up the red dates one by one, and with a light pinch, the date pits were taken out. The movement was skillful and elegant.

The pitted red dates were placed in a pot and steamed with water. As the water temperature rose, the rich aroma of dates gradually filled the pot, filling the entire yard with a domineering aroma that made people itch.

Yu Yu stood by the pot, staring at it without blinking. The red flames reflected in her eyes looked like two jumping flames.

After the red dates were cooked until soft, Xiaoyu carefully took them out, drained the water and put them into the stone mortar.

She picked up the wooden pestle and began to grind it bit by bit, allowing the red dates to release more sweetness.

Gradually, the red dates turned into a fine paste, and the rich date fragrance became more mellow, as if it could wrap the person up completely.

"Wow, smell it, this date paste smells so good!" Yu Yu shouted excitedly, her eyes sparkling with pride.

She scooped a little jujube paste with a small spoon and put it into her mouth. The sweet taste spread on the tip of her tongue. The sweet and delicious feeling made her squint her eyes in satisfaction: "This jujube paste filling is really great. It will definitely make a super delicious mooncake."

Xiaoyu looked at the prepared lotus seed paste, red bean paste, and jujube paste fillings, and while gently patting the flour on her body, she said, "Yes, yes, the fillings for the lotus seed paste mooncakes, red bean paste mooncakes, and jujube paste mooncakes are almost ready."

"Wait a little longer and let the filling cool down a bit, then it will be easier to wrap."

Yuyu stood aside, her eyes sparkling. She nodded continuously, the hair ornaments on her head swaying gently with her movements: "Mom, I can't wait to wrap them in the dough. I feel that the mooncakes made with these fillings must be extremely delicious."

As he spoke, he went to the bowl of stuffing and took a deep breath.

Li Hao folded his arms across his chest, leaning against a pillar beside him, with a lazy and comfortable smile on his face.

"Once the mooncakes are out of the oven, we must try them. I'm afraid I'll have to eat several of them in one go to satisfy my craving."