Maejakgwa is a traditional Korean cookie with a delicate and crisp texture. Its shape is said to resemble a sparrow on a plum tree branch, and its gentle flavor makes it an elegant companion to tea or the perfect addition to celebratory meals.
Try this recipe by Jjilae.
Jjilae is a digital creator specializing in traditional Korean desserts. Check out more recipes on the YouTube channel Jjilae.
Source: "Beautiful, Delicious & Easy: Korean Desserts Made Simple" by Jillae (Kyunghayng BP)
Ingredients:
- 200 grams cake flour
- 8 tablespoons ginger water (15 grams ginger, 120 grams water)
- 1 teaspoon gardenia powder
- 2 grams salt
Sugar syrup ingredients:
- 120 grams sugar
- 150 grams water
Instructions:
Boil sugar and water to make a sugar syrup.
Divide sifted cake flour into two bowls. Add 1 gram salt and 4 tablespoons ginger water to each. Add gardenia powder to one bowl, then knead both.
Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for fifteen minutes.
Dust a board with flour and roll out both doughs thinly.
Stack the yellow and white doughs, then roll them together to a thickness of 2 to 3 millimeters.
Cut into sixteen pieces, each measuring 2 by 5 centimeters.
Score the center with three parallel lines.
Pull one end through the slit to form a twist.
Fry in oil at one 150 degrees Celsius until golden, turning once it floats.
Toss the cookies in sugar syrup, then place on a wire rack to drain excess syrup.
Storage:
Keep at room temperature for up to two weeks, or freeze for up to one month.
