By Korean Food Promotion Institute
Yakgwa is a beloved Korean sweet traditionally served during festive occasions. Made with sesame oil, honey and a hint of soju, these deep-fried cookies are soaked in a fragrant syrup, resulting in a chewy, golden confection. Perfect for holidays or as a cultural baking project, yakgwa offers a delicious glimpse into Korea’s culinary heritage. For best results, watch your oil temperature carefully and avoid over-kneading the dough to keep the cookies tender. Serve with tea and enjoy a taste of Korean tradition.
Ingredients
200 grams all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of ground black pepper
38 grams sesame oil
50 grams honey
40 grams soju
5 cups vegetable oil
Syrup
170 grams sugar
200 grams water
3 tablespoons honey
Preparation
In a large bowl, sift salt, ground black pepper and the flour together. Add sesame oil to the flour and mix with your hands to incorporate it. Sift the flour again to break up clumps.
In a small bowl, mix honey and soju, then add to the flour mixture. Mix to form dough.
Cut the dough in half and lay the dough pieces on top of each other. Knead the dough together. Repeat this process 2-3 times.
Roll the dough out with a rolling pin to form a sheet just under a centimeter thick. Cut the sheet into 4cm rectangles. With a chopstick, poke the center of the rectangles to help the cooking process.
To make the syrup, place 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water into a saucepan. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat and do not stir. When the sugar syrup is reduced to about 1 cup, turn off the heat, add the honey and mix well.
Cooking
Heat 5 cups of vegetable oil until it reaches 90℃ in a wok or frying pan. Deep-fry the dough until the layers of dough rise. Heat the oil until it reaches 140-160℃. Deep-fry the dough until brown. Remove from oil and drain well.
While still hot, dip the yakgwa in sugar syrup. Drain off the excess syrup and serve.
Tip
Be careful not to knead the honey cookie dough for too long, as it toughens easily. If the temperature of the oil is too high, the inside of the honey cookie will remain uncooked while the outside will be burnt. If the temperature is too low, it will lose its shape. So be careful of the cooking temperature.
Serve 4.
yoohong@heraldcorp.com
