Yakgwa (Korean Honey Ginger Cookies)
Chewy-crisp, flaky Korean fried cookies made with toasted sesame oil, rice wine and ginger, then soaked in a warm honey, rice syrup and ginger syrup until glossy and tender. A traditional treat for holidays and tea time.
- Prep
- 35 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Wait
- 1 hr 30 min
- Total
- 2 hr 40 min
- Makes
- About 16 cookies (2-inch / 5 cm rounds)
Steps
Before you start
- Read the whole recipe first: the dough needs a 20-minute rest and the fried cookies need at least 1 hour in the syrup.
- Do not knead the dough. Pressing and folding keeps the layers tender and flaky; kneading makes the cookies hard.
- Have a deep-fry or instant-read thermometer ready. Frying temperature is the key to cookies that cook through without burning.
- Set a wire rack over a baking sheet for draining the cookies, and a shallow dish large enough to hold the cookies in a single layer for soaking.
Simmer the syrup
- In a 1.5-quart (1.5 L) saucepan, combine the water, ½ cup (170 g) honey, rice syrup, ginger coins and cinnamon stick (if using).
- Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring until the rice syrup dissolves.
- Reduce to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and leave the ginger and cinnamon in the syrup to steep while you make and fry the cookies.
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Ready when: Syrup is slightly thickened and lightly coats the back of a spoon; it will thicken a little more as it cools.
Tip: Keep the heat gentle; a hard boil can scorch the honey and turn the syrup bitter.
Rub oil into flour
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, pepper and ground cinnamon (if using).
- Add the sesame oil and rub it into the flour with your fingertips for about 2 minutes.
- Then pass the mixture through a coarse sieve or rub it between your palms once more.
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Ready when: The flour looks like damp sand and clumps slightly when squeezed in your fist.
Tip: Coating the flour with oil first limits gluten development, which gives the cookies their flaky, tender crumb.
Add liquids, press dough
- In a small bowl, stir together the 3 tablespoons honey, rice wine and 1 tablespoon ginger juice until the honey dissolves.
- Pour over the flour mixture and stir with a spatula just until no dry flour remains.
- The dough will look shaggy.
- Turn it out, then press it together, cut in half, stack and press again, repeating 3 or 4 times until it holds as a single, slightly rough mass.
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Ready when: The dough holds together when pressed and has no dry patches, but is not smooth like bread dough.
Tip: If the dough will not hold together, add 1 teaspoon rice wine at a time. Do not knead.
Rest the dough
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap or cover the bowl and let it rest at room temperature for 20 minutes so the flour fully hydrates and the dough becomes easier to roll.
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Ready when: The dough feels slightly softer and less crumbly.
Roll and cut cookies
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to an even ½-inch (1.25 cm) thickness.
- Cut out 2-inch (5 cm) rounds, re-pressing scraps together once to cut more (you should get about 16).
- Prick the top of each cookie 4 or 5 times with a fork or toothpick, pushing about halfway through, so they cook evenly and absorb syrup.
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Ready when: All cookies are an even ½ inch thick with visible pricks across the surface.
Tip: Uneven thickness means uneven frying, so use rolling guides or check with a ruler.
Heat the oil gentlyOven 250°F / 120°C
- Pour the frying oil into a heavy 3-quart (3 L) pot so it is about 2 inches (5 cm) deep.
- Heat over medium-low until a thermometer reads 250°F (120°C).
- Adjust the heat to hold this temperature.
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Ready when: Thermometer reads 250°F (120°C).
Tip: Never fill the pot more than halfway with oil, and never leave hot oil unattended.
Fry low and slowOven 275°F / 135°C
- Carefully add about half the cookies (8) so they are not touching.
- They will sink first.
- Fry for 8 to 10 minutes at 250 to 275°F (120 to 135°C), turning occasionally with a slotted spoon, until they rise to the surface and turn a pale golden color.
- Cookies should be puffy, with small cracks forming.
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Ready when: Cookies float, look pale gold, and the sides show light cracks.
Tip: If the oil is too hot at this stage the outside browns before the center cooks, giving a raw, doughy middle.
Finish fryingOven 340°F / 170°C
- Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the oil to 340°F (170°C).
- Fry the cookies another 2 to 3 minutes, turning, until deep golden brown.
- Lift out with a slotted spoon, let excess oil drip off for a few seconds, and place on the wire rack.
- Return the oil to 250°F (120°C) and repeat with the remaining cookies.
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Ready when: Cookies are evenly deep golden brown and feel firm when tapped with the spoon.
Tip: Move quickly to the syrup: hot cookies absorb syrup best.
Soak in warm syrup
- While the cookies are still hot, reheat the syrup briefly over low heat only until warm (not hot), then remove the ginger and cinnamon with a slotted spoon.
- Arrange the cookies in a single layer in the shallow dish and pour over the warm syrup.
- Turn the cookies once after 30 minutes.
- Let soak for at least 1 hour at room temperature.
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Ready when: Cookies look dark, glossy and slightly swollen, and the centers feel soft when pressed.
Tip: Syrup that is too hot makes the cookies fall apart, while cold syrup is absorbed poorly.
Drain and garnish
- Lift the cookies out with a slotted spoon and set them on a clean wire rack set over a baking sheet.
- Let them drain for 10 minutes.
- Top each with a few toasted pine nuts, if using, then serve at room temperature.
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Ready when: Cookies are glossy and tacky but no longer dripping.
Tip: Save leftover syrup in the fridge to sweeten tea or drizzle over yogurt.
Good to know
Tips
- Use a thermometer and keep the first fry low (250 to 275°F / 120 to 135°C); this is what cooks the center through without burning the outside.
- Do not overwork the dough. Press and fold only until it holds together, or the cookies will be tough.
- Fry in two batches so the oil temperature does not drop and cookies do not stick together.
- For a deeper ginger flavor, let the ginger steep in the syrup for the full soaking time, then strain before pouring.
Make ahead
Fry the cookies up to 2 days ahead and store them airtight at room temperature; soak them in freshly warmed syrup the day you plan to serve. The syrup can be made up to 1 week ahead and kept in the fridge.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Refrigerate up to 1 week (bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before eating). Freeze, drained and wrapped individually, for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge, then at room temperature. No reheating is needed.
Substitutions
- rice wine (cheongju) or mirin → Dry sherry or dry white wine. Use the same amount; the flavor is slightly different but the dough texture is the same.
- rice syrup (mulyeot) → Light corn syrup or additional honey. Use the same weight. All honey gives a stronger honey flavor and a slightly stickier finish.
- honey → Maple syrup. Use the same weight for a slightly more caramel flavor; the cookies will be a little darker.
- neutral oil such as canola or vegetable oil → Peanut or rice bran oil. Any neutral oil with a high smoke point works equally well.