Traditional Korean Yakgwa Honey-Ginger Syrup Cookies (About 20)

Combine 210 g wheat flour, 80 g sweet rice flour and 1/2 tsp cinnamon; drizzle in 60 ml sesame oil, rubbing to a fine sandy texture.

Mix 120 ml hot water, 60 ml honey, 50 g sugar and 2 g salt separately; fold into the flour mixture with a spatula without over-kneading.

Wrap the dough and refrigerate for about one hour.

Combine 375 ml rice syrup, 160 ml honey, 30 g ginger, 3 g cinnamon and 150 ml water in a deep pan. Bring to a boil, simmer 8–10 minutes until thick and slowly dripping, then cool completely.

Divide dough into 24–25 g pieces, press into a yakgwa mold and prick a few holes in the back; release carefully. Without a mold, roll 1.2–1.3 cm thick and cut into squares.

Add enough neutral frying oil to a deep pot to submerge the pieces without filling more than halfway; heat gently to about 130°C using a fry thermometer. Keep all water away from hot oil.

Fry a few cookies at a time at low heat, about five minutes per side until pale golden. Reduce heat if the exterior browns quickly, then drain on a rack.

Stand fried cookies in a snug container and cover most of them with cooled syrup. Cover and soak 24–48 hours. Because the source does not specify a soak location, this edited version recommends refrigeration for caution, which may alter texture.

Place soaked cookies on a rack and drain syrup for about three to four hours until slightly tacky. Keep handling surfaces clean and the environment cool.

Store finished yakgwa sealed in the refrigerator. Do not give honey-containing yakgwa to infants under 12 months. Avoid burns from hot frying oil and syrup.