Korean Fried Honey Cake

submitted by amanda
from US

Yakgwa

Pepero Day is a unofficial holiday in South Korea similar to Valentine's
Day or Sweetest Day. It is named after the Korean snack Pepero and held
on November 11, since the date "11/11" resemble four sticks of Pepero.
The holiday is observed mostly by young people and couples, who exchange
Pepero sticks, other candies, and romantic gifts. According to the
story, Pepero Day was started in 1994 by students at a girls' middle
school in Busan, where they exchanged Pepero sticks as gifts to wish one
another to grow "as tall and slender as a Pepero" (Pepero means "thin
like a stick"). However, it is more likely it was initiated by Lotte, the
company which produces Pepero. While in most countries of the world,
November 11th is a day of remembrance (since it signaled the end of World
War I), in Korea it is a day of romance, gaudy cardboard packaging
emblazoned with butchered English love lines, and massive fortunes earned
by convenience stores and Wonka-esque entrepreneurs. Many students are
truant on this day to celebrate with their friends. In Japan, a similar
Pocky Day was held on November 11 in 1999, which was the 11th year of the
Heisei era. The date, 11/11 of the 11th year, resembled 6 sticks of
Pocky. According to Korean sources this day was based on the Pepero Day.

Cookie
1 cup flour
3Tbsp sesame seed oil
3Tbsp rice wine
2Tbsp ginger juice
2Tbsp honey
Salt and pepper to taste

Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2Tbsp honey
1tsp ginger juice
1/2tsp cinnamon powder

2Tbsp finely minced pine nuts
4 cups oil for frying

Sift flour, salt and pepper to get rid of the lumps. Add sesame seed oil
and mix well. In a bowl combine rice wine, ginger juice and honey, and
evenly pour in the mixture to the flour. Knead the flour mixture to make
the dough. Flatten the dough to about 1 centimeter-thick sheet and use a
cookie cutter to cut out the desired cookie shapes. You may make little
slits or draw patterns with a stick on the cookie surface to make
interesting decorations. Also poke little holes on the cookie. Deep fry
the cookie on low heat, about 140 degrees Celsius until the outside
becomes golden brown and the inside is cooked thoroughly. In another pan,
make syrup by combining sugar and water and boiling it down on a medium
heat until it comes to about one cup. After cooling down the syrup, add
honey, ginger juice and cinnamon powder to make the honey syrup. Dip the
just fried cookies into the honey syrup and let it seep into the cookies.
Sprinkle the finely minced pine nuts before serving the cookie.

Tips
1. Dont knead the dough for too long, or else the cookies will fall apart.
2. The point of making good yakgwa is to make it soft and chewy, a bit
harder than soft chocolate chip cookies, but softer and less crumbly than
biscuits. The key to achieving that hardness is to keep the temperature
of the frying oil consistent at 140 degrees Celsius.
3. If you have a traditional Korean cookie mold, you may use it to make
flowery patterns on the yakgwa.


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