Hangwa (Korean Traditional Sweets Assortment)

Yakgwa (honey biscuits)

• 180 g Honey
• 120 ml Water
• 60 g Light brown sugar
• 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp Ground ginger
• 220 g Plain flour
• 1 pinch Fine sea salt
• 30 ml Toasted sesame oil
• 900 ml Sunflower oil

Dasik (pressed rice sweets)

• 200 g Rice flour
• 40 g Sesame seeds
• 70 g Honey
• 10 ml Toasted sesame oil
• 1 pinch Fine sea salt

1. Make the yakgwa syrup first: put 180 g honey, the water, light brown sugar, ground cinnamon and ground ginger in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring just until the sugar dissolves, then simmer for 3 minutes. Take off the heat and leave to cool to warm.
2. For the yakgwa dough, whisk the plain flour with a pinch of fine sea salt in a mixing bowl. Add the toasted sesame oil and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture looks like damp sand. Drizzle in 60 ml of the cooled syrup and mix just until a soft dough forms; cover and rest for 20 minutes.
3. While the dough rests, make the dasik base: toast the rice flour in a dry saucepan over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until it smells nutty and turns slightly cream. Tip into a bowl to cool completely so it does not melt the honey. Toast the sesame seeds in the same pan for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant, then cool.
4. Grind the toasted sesame seeds to a fine meal using a mortar and pestle. Mix the ground sesame with the cooled toasted rice flour and a pinch of fine sea salt. Add 70 g honey and 10 ml toasted sesame oil, then work it together until it holds when pressed; if it feels dry, knead for 1 minute to help it come together.
5. Press the dasik mixture firmly into small moulds, then turn out onto a tray. Leave at room temperature to firm while you fry the yakgwa. If your kitchen is warm, chill them in the fridge to help them set.
6. Shape the yakgwa: divide the rested dough into 12 equal pieces and roll each into a ball. Flatten each ball into a thick oval, then make a shallow slit in the centre and gently open it slightly for the traditional look. Keep the shaped pieces covered so they do not dry out.
7. Heat the sunflower oil in a large pot to 150°C (300°F). Fry the yakgwa in batches for 6 to 8 minutes, turning often, until deep golden brown and cooked through. Lift out and drain briefly, then immediately submerge the hot biscuits in the warm syrup for 2 minutes so they soak evenly.
8. Transfer the soaked yakgwa to a rack or tray and leave to set until the surface is no longer tacky, about 30 minutes. Arrange the yakgwa and dasik together on a platter once both are firm. Serve at room temperature.

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