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4.6 from 24 votes

Maejakgwa (ginger cookies)

Maejakgwa is a crunchy cookie made with ginger-flavored dough in a ribbon shape. It's deep-fried and coated with simple syrup.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Additional Time
30 mins
Servings: 4
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Korean

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

    Cup of Yum
  1. Make ginger water by adding the grated ginger to 4 tablespoons of water. Run it through a sieve to remove the fibrous part.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Cut the rectangle in half lengthwise, and then cut each half into about 6 1-inch small rectangles.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. Coat with the syrup while still warm. Sprinkle with the optional pine nuts on top.
For the bi-color dough - optional
  1. 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.
  2. 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.  
  3. 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