korean dessert

Today, I&#039;m going to introduce you to a traditional Korean sweet called Yakgwa. It&#039;s a deep-fried layered cookie made with honey, sesame oil, ginger, and soju, and covered in a sweet, sticky syrup. When you chew one bite, syrup bursts out of the cookie and it&#039;s juicy and crumbly in your mouth...

Yakgwa (Korean honey cookies) 약과

water

rice syrup (or corn syrup)

sugar

cinnamon powder

cooking oil

pumpkin seeds

black pepper

honey

soju

ginger juice

Coat the flour in oil:

Sift the flour through a coarse mesh strainer into a large bowl. Drizzle the sesame oil and the cooking oil over the flour, circularly. Add the cinnamon powder. Using a rice scoop (or a wooden spoon), mix the oil in with the flour until well blended. To get rid of the larger lumps, gently rub the flour between your both hands, a little bit at at time, breaking up the lumps. Keep doing it until the big lumps are gone and the flour is well blended with the oil. Sift the seasoned flour into a bowl or an airtight container. Cover and set aside. You can refrigerate it for later if you're not going to make the cookies right away.

Mix the flavored honey:

Combine the ginger juice, salt, honey, soju, and black pepper in a small bowl. Mix well with a wooden spoon until the honey is dissolved. Set aside.

Make the coating syrup:

Combine the ginger juice, rice syrup, water, and sugar in a large sauce pan. The cookies will eventually be added to this pan, so choose one large and wide enough to fit all of them. Cook uncovered over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes until small bubbles pop up and cover about ½ of the surface. The consistency of the syrup should still be runny. Remove from the heat.

You're ready to make cookies now!

Add the flavored honey and soju mixture to the oiled flour a little by little as you mix it in. Use a wooden spoon (or a rice scoop) in a chopping motion to mix it up, as opposed to kneading it in like bread or noodles. Eventually it will look like crumbled dough but it will form roughly into one lump. Put the dough on your large cutting board or workspace. Press and gently grab the dough with both hands to shape it up a bit, without kneading. Use your roller to shape and beat it into a rectangle about 6 x 12 inches and ⅓ inch thick. Fold or cut it in half and then roll it out into a rectangle again. Do this a couple of times to give the cookies some nice layers. Cut the dough into about 1 inch squares or use a cookie cutter to create some fun shapes. I used a 2½ inch flower shaped pie plunger and a heart shaped cookie cutter, but some people just cut it into squares.  You should get about 20 to 24 cookies. Poke some holes in the middle of the cookies with a chopstick so the dough cooks evenly in the oil.

Fry the cookies:

Yakgwa is fried 2 times. The first fry is done longer at a low temperature, about 250°F (120°C), and the second fry is shorter at high temperature, about 330°F (165°C). The first fry cooks the cookies evenly and slowly so the layers gradually expand. If we use high temperatures the cookies won't cook on the inside and expand, and the outside will burn. The second fry is at a high temperature to make a nice brown color on the outside and to make the cookie a bit crunchy.

1st fry:

Heat 2 inches of cooking oil in a skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes. I used 4 cups grape seed oil in my 12 inch skillet. When the temperature reaches around 250°F (120°C), add the raw cookies one by one. They will sink to the bottom of the skillet at first but soon small bubbles will come up and about 5 minutes later they will float to the surface one by one. Turn them over with long wooden cooking chopsticks or tongs. Keep moving and turning them in the oil so they cook evenly, until both sides turn light brown, which should take about 5 minutes. Remove the cookies and put them into a stainless-steel strainer over a bowl. Drain the excess oil and set aside.

2nd fry:

Increase the heat to medium-high for a couple of minutes until the oil heats up to about 330°F (165°C). Fry the cookies and turn them over for 2 to 3 minutes until both sides of each cookie turn a nice brown. Remove them from the oil and put them into a stainless-steel strainer over a bowl.

Coat the cookies in syrup:

Drain the excess oil for a minute, then add all the cookies to the coating syrup in the pan. Mix them with a wooden spoon and let them sit in the pan at least 3 to 4 hours up to overnight, turning them over a couple of times now and then to soak them evenly.

Serve:

Use a slotted spoon to remove the cookies from the pan and place some on a plate. Garnish with pumpkin seeds and/or pine nuts, and/or threads of ginger. Serve with your favorite tea of coffee. I usually eat them with green tea. You can freeze these cookies for months.

Today, I&#039;m going to introduce you to a traditional Korean sweet called Yakgwa. It&#039;s a deep-fried layered cookie made with honey, sesame oil, ginger, and soju, and covered in a sweet, sticky syrup. When you chew one bite, syrup bursts out of the cookie and it&#039;s juicy and crumbly in your mouth. Sesame oil, honey, ginger, and cinnamon together have a really distinct flavor and make this cookie unique and irresistible. Koreans have been making these cookies for more than a thousand years. It&#039;s a kind of yumil-gwa, which are deep-fried han-gwa (Korean confection). The &quot;yak&quot; in yakgwa means &quot;medicine&quot; and &quot;gwa&quot; means &quot;confection,&quot; so it&#039;s called &quot;medicinal confection&quot; because traditionally Koreans believed that honey has the power to heal and restore. Honey was a precious ingredient in any dish and it was always expensive, so these yakgwa were a rare treat, and very special. Traditionally Koreans had them only on special occasions: weddings, birthdays, festival days, and also death anniversaries. I remember going to my grandmother&#039;s house on festival days. She was waiting for us with yakgwa piled up like a mountain on a large tray. She made so many that she didn&#039;t have time to press them into nice shapes, she just cut them into diamond-shaped cookies. The sticky syrup overflowed to the bottom of the tray and she used very thinly cut threadlike ginger matchsticks as a garnish. The ginger thread was really pretty! I did it the same way in this recipe, just like my grandmother. Good yakgwa has layers. You can see them in the cookies and they soak up all the syrup. A tip for making these layers is that you shouldn&#039;t knead the dough like you would when making knife-cut noodles. Kneading creates gluten and makes the dough chewy, so we knead as little as possible. Instead we are grabbing, forming, shaping, and then folding the dough over itself to create those layers. I use my small rolling pin to press, stretch, and shape the dough to get it the way I want it. Korean grocery stores sell yakgwa, so you can find these cookies very easily. But the difference in taste between homemade yakgwa and commercially sold yakgwa is huge. You can judge for yourself, if you want. Enjoy the recipe and let me know how you and your family enjoy your own homemade yakgwa! Ingredients. Makes about 20-24 cookies For the flour and oil blend. 2 cups all-purpose wheat flour. 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil 1 tablespoon cooking oil (grape seed oil, vegetable oil, or corn oil) &frac12; teaspoon cinnamon powder. For the flavored honey mix. 2 teaspoons grated and squeezed ginger juice. &frac14; teaspoon Kosher salt a pinch of ground black pepper. &frac14; cup honey. &frac12; cup soju For the cookie coating syrup. 1 teaspoon grated and squeezed ginger juice. &frac12; cup water. &frac12; cup rice syrup (or corn syrup) 1 tablespoon sugar. &frac14; teaspoon cinnamon powder. Plus. cooking oil for frying. about 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds and/or pine nuts and/or ginger threads for garnish (optional) Directions. Coat the flour in oil: Sift the flour through a coarse mesh strainer into a large bowl. Drizzle the sesame oil and the cooking oil over the flour, circularly. Add the cinnamon powder. Using a rice scoop (or a wooden spoon), mix the oil in with the flour until well blended. To get rid of the larger lumps, gently rub the flour between your both hands, a little bit at at time, breaking up the lumps. Keep doing it until the big lumps are gone and the flour is well blended with the oil. Sift the seasoned flour into a bowl or an airtight container. Cover and set aside. You can refrigerate it for later if you&#039;re not going to make the cookies right away. Mix the flavored honey: Combine the ginger juice, salt, honey, soju, and black pepper in a small bowl. Mix well with a wooden spoon until the honey is dissolved. Set aside. Make the coating syrup: Combine the ginger juice, rice syrup, water, and sugar in a large sauce pan. The cookies will eventually be added to this pan, so choose one large and wide enough to fit all of them. Cook uncovered over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes until small bubbles pop up and cover about &frac12; of the surface. The consistency of the syrup should still be runny. Remove from the heat. You&#039;re ready to make cookies now! Add the flavored honey and soju mixture to the oiled flour a little by little as you mix it in. Use a wooden spoon (or a rice scoop) in a chopping motion to mix it up, as opposed to kneading it in like bread or noodles. Eventually it will look like crumbled dough but it will form roughly into one lump. Put the dough on your large cutting board or workspace. Press and gently grab the dough with both hands to shape it up a bit, without kneading. Use your roller to shape and beat it into a rectangle about 6 x 12 inches and ⅓ inch thick. Fold or cut it in half and then roll it out into a rectangle again. Do this a couple of times to give the cookies some nice layers. Cut the dough into about 1 inch squares or use a cookie cutter to create some fun shapes. I used a 2&frac12; inch flower shaped pie plunger and a heart shaped cookie cutter, but some people just cut it into squares. You should get about 20 to 24 cookies. Poke some holes in the middle of the cookies with a chopstick so the dough cooks evenly in the oil. Fry the cookies: Yakgwa is fried 2 times. The first fry is done longer at a low temperature, about 250&deg;F (120&deg;C), and the second fry is shorter at high temperature, about 330&deg;F (165&deg;C). The first fry cooks the cookies evenly and slowly so the layers gradually expand. If we use high temperatures the cookies won&#039;t cook on the inside and expand, and the outside will burn. The second fry is at a high temperature to make a nice brown color on the outside and to make the cookie a bit crunchy. 1st fry: Heat 2 inches of cooking oil in a skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes. I used 4 cups grape seed oil in my 12 inch skillet. When the temperature reaches around 250&deg;F (120&deg;C), add the raw cookies one by one. They will sink to the bottom of the skillet at first but soon small bubbles will come up and about 5 minutes later they will float to the surface one by one. Turn them over with long wooden cooking chopsticks or tongs. Keep moving and turning them in the oil so they cook evenly, until both sides turn light brown, which should take about 5 minutes. Remove the cookies and put them into a stainless-steel strainer over a bowl. Drain the excess oil and set aside. 2nd fry: Increase the heat to medium-high for a couple of minutes until the oil heats up to about 330&deg;F (165&deg;C). Fry the cookies and turn them over for 2 to 3 minutes until both sides of each cookie turn a nice brown. Remove them from the oil and put them into a stainless-steel strainer over a bowl. Coat the cookies in syrup: Drain the excess oil for a minute, then add all the cookies to the coating syrup in the pan. Mix them with a wooden spoon and let them sit in the pan at least 3 to 4 hours up to overnight, turning them over a couple of times now and then to soak them evenly. Serve: Use a slotted spoon to remove the cookies from the pan and place some on a plate. Garnish with pumpkin seeds and/or pine nuts, and/or threads of ginger. Serve with your favorite tea of coffee. I usually eat them with green tea. You can freeze these cookies for months. &nbsp;

Korean shaved ice desserts (bingsu) are a fun and delicious way to cool down in the summer. My favorite is the traditional patbingsu with sweet red beans, soft soft rice cakes (injeolmi) and fruits. I&#039;ve been eating it every summer for my whole life!

Patbingsu (Shaved ice with sweet red beans and fruit)

salt

vanilla extract

glutinous rice flour

kosher salt

soybean powder

red beans

How to make sweet red beans

Pick out any broken or brownish beans and discard them. Put the good beans in a strainer. Rinse them under cold running water, then transfer them to a large, heavy saucepan. Add 4½ cups water and cover. Place over medium-high heat and cook for 10 minutes until the water is boiling. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes, until the beans are tender but not mushy. Remove from the heat and drain. Return the beans to the pot and add the sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Stir with a wooden spoon for about 4 to 5 minutes over low heat, until the beans are drizzle-able. Allow the beans to cool thoroughly. Transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

How to make injeolmi rice cake

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the rice flour, sugar, salt, and water. Mix the ingredients thoroughly with a spoon until it becomes smooth. Cover the bowl with heat-resistant plastic wrap, making sure to leave a small gap for steam to escape. Microwave the mixture for 1 minute. Carefully take the bowl out of the microwave and uncover it. Hold the bowl steady with a kitchen cloth to protect your hand from the heat, then use a small wooden spoon to vigorously stir the mixture until it becomes elastic. Prepare a cutting board and sprinkle soybean powder on it. Transfer the hot rice cake onto the soybean powder. To prevent sticking, lightly wet your fingertips with cold water. Now, flip the rice cake over with your hands, pressing and shaping it into a square shape. Use a kitchen knife to cut the square into small pieces.

How to put the patbingsu together!

Begin by refrigerating a 2- to 3-cup serving bowl until it becomes cold. This will help keep the patbingsu chilled while serving. Once the bowl is cold, place 2 cups of shaved ice in the bowl as the first layer. Gently drizzle the whole milk over the sweet red beans. Add ½ cup of sweet red beans over the shaved ice. Add the mango and strawberry pieces (or fruits of your choice). Take the remaining 1 cup of shaved ice and build it up on top of the fruits, creating a mountain-like appearance. Add a ½ cup of sweet red beans over the shaved ice mountain. Place the rice cakes on the top layer. Drizzle the condensed milk over the entire patbingsu, adding a touch of sweetness and flavor.

Serve

Serve the patbingsu immediately with a spoon. Mix and eat the different layers together.

Mattang is a delicious, easy to make sweet that&#039;s chunks of sweet potato coated in translucent hot brown syrup. They are super crunchy on the outside and warm and fluffy on the inside. It&#039;s so simple and easy to make but freshly made mattang is really irresistible, with an amazing, loud crispy...

Candied sweet potato (Mattang: 맛탕)

white sugar

cooking oil (vegetable, grape seeds, or corn oil)

toasted black sesame seeds (optional)

First fry for the sweet potato

Heat 1½ inch cooking oil in a large pan over medium high heat until the temperature reaches about 340ºF. (I used 6 cups cooking oil in my 12 inch pan and heated it up for 12 minutes over medium-high) Gently add the sweet potato pieces to the hot oil. Fry them for about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden or slotted spoon, until light golden brown. Use tongs or slotted spoon to take out the sweet potato pieces and put them into a stainless steel strainer over a bowl so they can drain. Turn off the heat and let them sit until the syrup is ready.

Make syrup

Add about 2 tablespoons cooking oil to a skillet. Swirl it around to evenly coat. Sprinkle sugar evenly over the oil. Heat up the skillet over medium heat. When the sugar starts melting after about 5 minutes, reduce the heat to medium low. Grab the handle of the skillet, lift it up and move it around so the sugar evenly melts in the oil. Don't stir it, or it will crystalize. Keep moving and shifting the pan for another 2 to 3 minutes until all the sugar melts into to brownish syrup. Turn off the heat.

2nd fry for the sweet potato

Reheat the oil for about 2 to 3 minutes until it reaches 340ºF. Add the fried sweet potato pieces and fry them for 1 to 2 minutes until crunchy and golden brown. Use tongs or slotted spoon to take out the sweet potato pieces and put them into a stainless steel strainer over a bowl so they can drain. Turn off the heat.

Finish and serve

Reheat the syrup. Add the sweet potato and mix with a wooden spoon until they are totally covered in the syrup. Sprinkle the black sesame seeds over top. Remove from the heat and transfer the sweet potato to a large baking sheet lined with a parchment paper. Leave a gap between each piece so that they don’t stick together. Let them cool down. When the syrup hardens, transfer the mattang to a serving bowl and serve.

Top 3 korean dessert recipes from across the web

The most viewed korean dessert recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Yakgwa (Korean honey cookies) 약과

Patbingsu (Shaved ice with sweet re...

Candied sweet potato (Mattang: 맛탕)

Top 3 korean dessert recipes from across the web

The most viewed korean dessert recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Yakgwa (Korean honey cookies) 약과

Patbingsu (Shaved ice with sweet re...

Candied sweet potato (Mattang: 맛탕)

The most viewed korean dessert recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine