Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat

Korean Yakgwa Honey Cookies

韓式蜂蜜藥果 Yakgwa

Korean Yakgwa Honey Cookies — finished dish

Total time: 120 min
Difficulty: Medium
Servings: 4 servings

Recipe overview

Flour dough scented with sesame oil and ginger is shaped, gently fried and soaked in honey syrup.

01

Ingredients

Main ingredients

300 g plain flour
180 g honey
2 tbsp pine nuts

Dough seasoning

4 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp ginger juice
3 tbsp rice wine
1 pinch salt
2 tbsp honey

Honey syrup

80 g sugar
120 ml water
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Frying oil

700 ml cooking oil

Korean Yakgwa Honey Cookies — ingredients

02

Tools

small saucepan
mixing bowl
rolling pin
deep pot
wire skimmer
cooling rack

Korean Yakgwa Honey Cookies — tools

03

Steps

Korean Yakgwa Honey Cookies — Dissolve honey, sugar, water and cinnamon gently, then cool the soaking syrup

Step 1

Dissolve honey, sugar, water and cinnamon gently, then cool the soaking syrup

Dissolve honey, sugar, water and cinnamon gently, then cool the soaking syrup.

Korean Yakgwa Honey Cookies — Sift flour and salt into a bowl

Step 2

Sift flour and salt into a bowl

Sift flour and salt into a bowl.

Korean Yakgwa Honey Cookies — Rub sesame oil gradually into the flour to make even fine crumbs

Step 3

Rub sesame oil gradually into the flour to make even fine crumbs

Rub sesame oil gradually into the flour to make even fine crumbs.

Korean Yakgwa Honey Cookies — Mix ginger juice, rice wine and two tablespoons honey into the flour

Step 4

Mix ginger juice, rice wine and two tablespoons honey into the flour

Mix ginger juice, rice wine and two tablespoons honey into the flour.

Korean Yakgwa Honey Cookies — Press gently into dough and rest fifteen minutes without kneading hard

Step 5

Press gently into dough and rest fifteen minutes without kneading hard

Press gently into dough and rest fifteen minutes without kneading hard.

Korean Yakgwa Honey Cookies — Roll thin, fold and press lightly three times to build flaky layers

Step 6

Roll thin, fold and press lightly three times to build flaky layers

Roll thin, fold and press lightly three times to build flaky layers.

Korean Yakgwa Honey Cookies — Roll to one centimetre, cut flower shapes and prick the centres

Step 7

Roll to one centimetre, cut flower shapes and prick the centres

Roll to one centimetre, cut flower shapes and prick the centres.

Korean Yakgwa Honey Cookies — Heat frying oil gently to 130°C

Step 8

Heat frying oil gently to 130°C

Heat frying oil gently to 130°C.

Korean Yakgwa Honey Cookies — Fry in batches at 130°C until floating and pale golden

Step 9

Fry in batches at 130°C until floating and pale golden

Fry in batches at 130°C until floating and pale golden.

Korean Yakgwa Honey Cookies — Raise oil to 150°C and fry until deep golden and cooked through

Step 10

Raise oil to 150°C and fry until deep golden and cooked through

Raise oil to 150°C and fry until deep golden and cooked through.

Korean Yakgwa Honey Cookies — Drain and soak the warm yakgwa in cool honey syrup for sixty minutes

Step 11

Drain and soak the warm yakgwa in cool honey syrup for sixty minutes

Drain and soak the warm yakgwa in cool honey syrup for sixty minutes.

Korean Yakgwa Honey Cookies — Drain on a rack and garnish with pine nuts

Step 12

Drain on a rack and garnish with pine nuts

Drain on a rack and garnish with pine nuts.

Common mistakes

Overworking develops gluten and toughens the cookies; high initial heat browns them before the centre cooks.

Tips

Warm cookies absorb cool syrup best; drain slowly on a rack after soaking.