Hydrangea rice cakes

This is a type of jeolpyeon (steamed rice cake) made by steaming non-glutinous rice flour, kneading it until it becomes chewy and shaping it into a beautiful form. Compared to glutinous rice, non-glutinous rice has less stickiness, making it easier to shape. In this recipe, we’ve rolled the dough thin, filled it with sweet bean paste and shaped it to resemble hydrangea flowers.

Try this recipe by Jjilae.

Jjilae is a digital creator specializing in traditional Korean desserts. Find more recipes on the YouTube channel Jjilae.

Ingredients:

Makes 25 pieces

Instructions:

Place the rice flour and water in a mixing bowl, rub together by hand to allow the flour to absorb moisture, then sift through a fine sieve.

Add the sugar and mix well. Place the mixture into a steamer tray, shaping a well in the center to allow steam to circulate evenly.

Once the water is boiling, place the tray in the steamer and steam for 15 minutes. Remove while still hot and knead for at least 10 minutes.

Sift in the prickly pear powder and mix to create a pink dough. Roll the dough out using a rolling pin until it is 2 to 3 millimeters thick.

Use a cookie cutter to cut the dough into square shapes, then make cuts at the center of each side using a scraper.

Roll 8 grams of sweet bean paste into a ball and place it in the center of each dough square. Fold in the diagonal corners and pinch together, then fold the side flaps outward and press the ends to seal. Repeat with the remaining pieces to form hydrangea shapes. Lightly oil your tools while working, and cover the rice cakes with plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out.

Storage:

1 day at room temperature, 1 month in the freezer