Half-moon Rice Cake (Sesame Honey Filled Steamed Rice Cake)

Name: Half-moon Rice Cake (Sesame Honey Filled Steamed Rice Cake)
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: rice flour 300 g; salt 3 g; water 190 ml; toasted sesame seeds 40 g; honey 35 g; brown sugar 20 g; sesame oil 10 ml; pine needles 15 g

Quick answer

Total time: 55 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 8

About this dish

Finely ground toasted sesame mixed with honey and dark brown sugar goes inside, and as the half-moon cakes steam, the filling loosens into a moist, nutty-sweet paste.

Pine needles lining the steamer leave a faint resinous scent on the surface. Songpyeon are shaped by families sitting together for Chuseok, and an old saying holds that whoever makes pretty ones will have a pretty daughter.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmount

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Instructions

6 steps

1

Mix 300g non-glutinous rice flour with 3g salt, gradually pour in 190ml boiling water while kneading by hand until the dough is as soft and smooth as an earlobe.
2

Grind 40g sesame seeds finely in a mortar, then mix with 35g honey and 20g dark brown sugar to make the filling.
3

Take 20g portions of dough, press a deep hollow in the center, add 1 teaspoon of filling, then gather the edges and seal firmly with no gaps.
4

Place seam-side down, gently press with two fingers into a half-moon shape, and pinch a decorative pattern along the rim to form the classic songpyeon silhouette.
5

Line the steamer with 15g pine needles, arrange the songpyeon without touching, and steam over high heat for 15 minutes until fully cooked through.
6

Rinse quickly in cold water to firm the surface and add elasticity, drain well, then coat each songpyeon with a thin layer of sesame oil from 10ml to give it a glossy finish.