Korean Chrysanthemum Bean Cakes
Quick answer
Gukhwa-ppang is a Korean winter street pastry baked in a chrysanthemum flower-shaped cast-iron mold, filled with sweet red bean paste at the center.
What makes this special
- Gukhwa-ppang is a flower-shaped pastry filled with sweet red bean paste and baked golden.
- Chrysanthemum mold filled one-third first to center the bean paste
- Higher batter ratio than bungeo-ppang gives denser, richer bread
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Combine 220g flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 2 tbsp sugar, and 0.5 tsp salt in a bowl and whisk until uniform.
- 2 Whisk together 1 egg, 180ml milk, and 20g melted butter in a separate bowl.
- 3 Stop mixing as soon as most lumps disappear.
Gukhwa-ppang is a Korean winter street pastry baked in a chrysanthemum flower-shaped cast-iron mold, filled with sweet red bean paste at the center. The batter of flour, baking powder, sugar, milk, egg, and melted butter is stirred together with minimal mixing to keep gluten development low, then poured to fill only one-third of the mold before a spoonful of bean paste is placed in the middle and covered with more batter, ensuring the filling sits centered in the finished pastry. Cooking over medium-low heat for three to four minutes on each side produces a golden crust with sharply defined flower-petal ridges pressed into the surface, while the bean paste inside stays soft and flows when the pastry is broken apart. It is often grouped with bungeoppang as a sibling street food, but the dough ratio is heavier and the shell is noticeably thicker, giving it a stronger bread-forward flavor and a slightly smaller proportion of filling to outer crust. The pastry is best eaten immediately after cooking, while the exterior is still crisp and the paste still hot. In recent years vendors have begun filling gukhwa-ppang with cream, chocolate, and sweet potato paste as alternatives to the traditional red bean filling.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Combine 220g flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 2 tbsp sugar, and 0.5 tsp salt in a bowl and whisk until uniform.
- 2Prep
Whisk together 1 egg, 180ml milk, and 20g melted butter in a separate bowl.
Pour gradually into the dry ingredients and mix gently until smooth.
- 3Prep
Stop mixing as soon as most lumps disappear.
Over-mixing develops gluten and makes the bread tough.
- 4Control
Preheat the chrysanthemum bread mold over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes and brush thinly with oil.
Fill each cavity only one-third full with batter.
- 5Control
Divide 240g red bean paste into equal portions.
Place one portion in the center of each, cover with remaining batter, and close the mold.
- 6Control
Cook on medium-low heat, flipping 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Remove when both sides are golden. A toothpick inserted should come out clean.
After the steps
Pick a recipe that fits this dish.
Continue with shared ingredients, meal pairings, or a similar method.
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