Yakgwa

Yakgwa, meaning "medicinal confection," is one of Korea's oldest and most revered traditional sweets, served at royal banquets, ancestral rites, and wedding ceremonies for over a thousand years. The flower-shaped cookies are made from wheat flour fried in sesame oil, then soaked in fragrant honey syrup infused with ginger and cinnamon — giving them a uniquely dense, chewy sweetness.

Serves: 8 (makes about 24 cookies)

Ingredients

Dough

• 300g (2.5 cups) plain flour
• 3 tbsp (45ml) sesame oil
• 3 tbsp (45ml) rice wine (cheongju) or dry sherry
• 2 tbsp honey
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Honey Syrup Soak

• 200ml (¾ cup) honey
• 100ml (⅓ cup) water
• 3 slices fresh ginger
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 tbsp rice wine or dry sherry

Garnish

• 1 tbsp pine nuts, finely chopped
• Crushed cinnamon

Instructions

1. Combine flour, sesame oil, rice wine, honey, ginger, and cinnamon. Mix until the dough resembles coarse crumbs, then press together until it just holds. Do NOT knead — overworking creates tough cookies. Rest 30 minutes covered.
2. Make the soak: combine honey, water, ginger, cinnamon stick, and rice wine in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring until honey dissolves. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to warm.
3. Roll dough to 1cm (⅜ inch) thickness. Cut with a flower-shaped cutter (5–6cm diameter) or a round cutter. Use a chopstick to poke 5 small holes in each to allow even frying.
4. Heat oil in a deep pot or wok to 150°C (300°F) — use a thermometer. Add cookies in batches and fry for 8–10 minutes, turning frequently, until a light golden honey colour. Do NOT rush with high heat.
5. Immediately transfer fried cookies to the warm honey soak. Submerge completely for at least 20–30 minutes until they absorb the syrup and become glossy and plump.
6. Remove and drain on a rack. Garnish with pine nuts and a dusting of cinnamon.
7. Rest for 2–3 hours at room temperature before serving — yakgwa improves as the syrup sets.

Cook's Notes: Low frying temperature is critical; too high and the outside colours before the inside cooks. Yakgwa keeps well at room temperature for up to 5 days, making them excellent for gifting. The sesame oil in the dough gives the cookies their distinctive nutty aroma.