How to Make Yakgwa, Korean Honey Cookies
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Nutritional Guidelines (per serving) | |
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447 | Calories |
38g | Fat |
28g | Carbs |
1g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 20 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 447 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 38g | 49% |
Saturated Fat 3g | 14% |
Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
Sodium 81mg | 4% |
Total Carbohydrate 28g | 10% |
Dietary Fiber 1g | 2% |
Protein 1g | |
Calcium 16mg | 1% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
Yakgwa is a traditional Korean sweet, and it's usually shaped into some sort of flower design if you're buying it in a store. It's deep-fried and very sweet, so it's more of a dessert than an everyday cookie, and it was traditionally served at ceremonies, celebrations, and on special occasions. Yakgwa literally means medicinal confection, as 'yak' means medicine and 'Awa' means confection/sweet. The medicinal part refers to honey, an important part of traditional Korean medicine.
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour
- 1/4 cup sesame oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup sake
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 cups vegetable oil (or as needed for frying)
- 1/4 cup pine nuts (chopped)
- 1 tbsp. sesame seeds (toasted)
- 1/2 cup rice malt syrup
- 1 cup honey
- 1 small piece of ginger (thinly sliced)
- 1/2 cup water
Steps to Make It
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Place flour in a large bowl.
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Add sesame oil and mix together with your hands. Rub the flour between your hands and fingers to combine.
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In another bowl, whisk honey, sake, and water together.
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Add to flour mixture and knead gently with your hands to form a dough.
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Wrap dough in plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes.
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After 30 minutes, on a floured surface, roll out dough to half an inch thick.
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Cut dough into one-inch strips to make diamond or rectangle shapes. Or cut into a flower shape.
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Put a small hole in the center of each cookie.
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To make syrup, put rice malt syrup, honey, and ginger in a saucepan over medium heat.
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Bring to a simmer and then remove immediately from heat.
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Pour into a rectangular dish or glass baking pan.
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Bring a sturdy, flat-bottomed fryer or saucepan with oil, making sure the oil doesn't go higher than half the height of the pot.
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Heat over medium heat until oil temperature is 212 F.
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In small batches, drop pastries in oil and fry, gently turning them until they puff and float (about 4 to 5 minutes).
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Now raise the heat of the oil to about 300 F and continue to fry until the Yakgwa turns a golden brown.
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Remove Yakgwa from oil and place into the dish with ginger syrup.
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When all of them have been placed in the syrup, turn each one over once so they are coated.
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Soak in the syrup for a few hours, and then remove with a slotted spoon onto another dish topped with parchment.
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Sprinkle with pine nuts and sesame seeds.