Maejakgwa (ginger cookies)
User Reviews
4.6
24 reviews
Excellent
Maejakgwa (ginger cookies)
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Maejakgwa is a crunchy cookie made with ginger-flavored dough in a ribbon shape. It's deep-fried and coated with simple syrup.
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Ingredients
For the ginger water for the dough
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 4 tablespoons water
For the white dough (24 cookies)
- 1 cup flour (about 5 ounces/140 grams)
- 1/4 salt
- 4 tablespoons ginger water
For the syrup (for 24 cookies)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water see the note
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup (or maple syrup, honey, oligo syrup, or rice syrup)
Other ingredients
- Oil for frying (about 1 cup using a small skillet)
- 1 teaspoon pine nuts, finely chopped - optional
For the green dough (12 cookies) - optional
- 1/2 cup flour (about 2.5 ounces/70 grams)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon green tea powder
- 2 tablespoons ginger water
For the red dough (12 cookies) - optional
- 1/2 cup flour (about 2.5 ounces/70 grams)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons beet water flavored with ginger
Instructions
- Make ginger water by adding the grated ginger to 4 tablespoons of water. Run it through a sieve to remove the fibrous part.
- Sift the flour and salt together. Add 4 tablespoons of ginger water, and mix it well. Knead with the heel of your hand until the dough comes together without visible flour in the dough and the bowl. Add a little more water if necessary, a teaspoon at a time. It should feel dry and stiff for easy shaping of cookies. Cover with a plastic wrap, and let it rest for 30 minutes. After resting, the dough will feel slightly softer.
- Over medium low heat in a small saucepan, bring the sugar, syrup and water to a boil over medium low heat. Continue to simmer until the syrup is reduced to half, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. See the note.
- Flour a cutting board. Cut the dough (if used 1 cup of flour) into two pieces for easier handling. Flatten one piece to a small rectangle. Wrap the other one until ready to use. Roll the flattened one with a rolling pin to make a thin rectangle, about 5 x 8-inch.
- Cut the rectangle in half lengthwise, and then cut each half into about 6 1-inch small rectangles.
- Fold a piece in the middle. From the folded side, make a slit in the middle, and then a shorter slit on each side of the middle slit.
- Unfold it, and push one end through the middle slit, wiggling it gently to shape it. Repeat with all pieces. Repeat steps 4, 5, 6 and 7 with the other half of the dough from step 4.
- Pour about 1 inch of oil into a heavy bottom pan. When the oil is hot (275°F/135°C), drop the pieces in one at a time. Cook for about 3 minutes. Remove and briefly set them on a wire rack or in a strainer.
- Coat with the syrup while still warm. Sprinkle with the optional pine nuts on top.
For the bi-color dough - optional
- For the white/green dough (1 batch): Make ginger water using step 1. Make 1/2 batch of white dough using step 2. Do the same thing for the green dough with an addition of green tea powder.
- For the white/red dough (1 batch): Make ginger water using step 1. Make 1/2 batch of white dough using step 2. Boil a slice of beet in 1/4 cup of water until the liquid is reduced to a half. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of ginger water from step 1 and simmer for a minute. Make the red dough using step 2 but with beet water.
- Put the same amounts of two different color doughs together and roll it out, cut, and shape, following steps 4 to 7.
Notes
- You can make ginger water as done for the dough in step 1 or drop a couple of ginger slices to make ginger-flavored syrup.
- You can make ginger water as done for the dough in step 1
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.6
24 reviews
Excellent
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