SALTED CARAMEL PANCAKES

HOTTEOK

Hotteok, sweet pancakes filled with a brown sugar syrup and nuts, are beloved by young and old alike. These decadent treats were my sister Sonya’s choice dessert when we were kids. In each bite, you crunch through a crispy golden crust, then through a chewy dough and finally into a gooey centre. I’ve jazzed up the classic recipe by substituting the brown sugar with muscovado sugar, which is richer and ‘oozier’ when melted, and mixing it with a touch of salt. Feel free to make your own version as well – I’ve seen these pancakes filled with everything from walnuts and honey to mixed seeds. And they’re even better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and/or whipped cream on top.

Ingredients

MAKES ABOUT TEN 10 CM (4 IN) PANCAKE

Dough:

  • 360 ml (12 fl oz) whole milk
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 pack (7 g/1⁄4 oz) instant yeast
  • 225 g (8 oz) bread flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 150 g (51⁄2 oz) sweet rice flour
  • 11⁄2 tbsp cornflour
  • 1⁄2 tsp sea salt

 

Filling:

  • 125 g (41⁄2 oz) muscovado sugar
  • 75 g (23⁄4 oz) peanuts, roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 3⁄4 tsp sea salt
  • Vegetable oil, for frying

 

Method

FOR THE DOUGH:

  1. In a very small saucepan, heat the milk to about 41°C/105°F. Remove from the heat, add the sugar and yeast and whisk until they have dissolved. Leave to stand in a warm place for 3–5 minutes, or until bubbling, to activate the yeast.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the bread flour, rice flour, cornflour and salt. Slowly stir in the warm milk mixture until a sticky dough forms. Shape the dough into a ball in the base of the bowl and cover the bowl with a clean damp tea towel.
  3. Leave the dough to rise in a warm place for 11⁄2–2 hours until doubled in size. Knock it back and let it rise for 11⁄2 hours until doubled in size again.

 

FOR THE FILLING:

  1. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the muscovado sugar, peanuts, cinnamon and salt.
  2. After the dough has risen a second time, dust a clean work surface with flour and turn the dough out onto it. Dust the top of the dough with some more flour and knead it a few times. Shape the dough into a fat, long log.
  3. Cut the dough into ten equal pieces, shape each piece into a ball, set on the floured work surface, and cover with a clean tea towel or clingfilm. Dusting with flour as needed to prevent sticking, press a dough ball into a 10 cm (4 in) wide disc using your fingertips. Make sure the disc is uniformly thick so the finished pancake will be evenly filled with caramel.
  4. Put the disc in your hand and slightly cup it. Spoon 11⁄2–2 tablespoons of the filling into the centre of the disc. Seal the disc closed by wrapping the dough around the filling and pinching the edges together at the top. Once sealed, reshape gently to form a ball, set with the seam side down on the floured work surface and cover with a clean tea towel or clingfilm. Repeat with the remaining dough balls and filling.
  5. In a large non-stick frying pan, heat 3 tablespoons of oil over a medium-high heat. Put two or three dough balls seam-side down in the pan and immediately flatten them with a spatula to a width of about 10 cm (4 in). Reduce the heat to medium-low and fry the pancakes for 3–4 minutes until golden brown and crispy on the bottom. Flip them and cook for a further 3–4 minutes until slightly springy to the touch.
  6. Transfer the pancakes to a wire rack or kitchen paper-lined plate when done. Repeat with the remaining dough balls, wiping the pan clean and adding fresh oil for each batch. Leave the pancakes to cool slightly before serving. Beware, it’s easy to burn yourself in your haste to gobble these up, as the insides are hot and oozing.

 

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@judyjoochef Instagram profile imageGrowing up, cooking in my house was gloriously chaotic– and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I sat down with @sunday.post to talk about those memories, my unexpected path from Columbia Engineering to the kitchen, and why Korean food is finally having its moment.  Now that Korean flavors are more accessible than ever, I’m excited to show how simple and imaginative they can be. Check out the Sunday Post to read the full story.
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@judyjoochef Instagram profile imageWelcome back to K-Viral Kitchen.  Today, I’m serving up a quick, easy Korean inspired healthy “cheesecake” with just three ingredients 🍰 🤍
Perfect for when you just want dessert without the baking and the fuss. 

Tangy Greek yogurt swirled with yujacha (Korean citron fruit honey tea), filled with Lotte Butter Coconut Biscuits that soften overnight into the most satisfying cheesecake-like crust. 
Creamy, citrusy, lightly sweet, and just the right amount of texture.🍋🍯

Fun fact: Yujacha (Yuja = citron fruit/ yuzu, cha = tea) has been used in Korean cuisine for centuries, traditionally as a warming winter tea and remedy, prized for its high vitamin C content and deliciously floral citrus flavor. Here, it’s adding that extra sweetness to your late night snack.

RECIPE (Serves 3–4):
2 cups full-fat Greek yogurt 
⅓ cup yujacha
4–6 Lotte Butter Coconut Biscuits
Procedure:  Spoon the yogurt into a jar or bowl. Swirl in the yujacha, keeping visible ribbons. Tuck in the biscuits, cover and refrigerate overnight, or eat right away. That’s it! 

What’ll be your go-to yoghurt and biscuit for this recipe?
Glam: @jonesroadbeauty @lottesweetland @fage 
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Dinner at Simpson’s in the Strand @simpsons1828 —a true London institution, where history is served as generously as the gravy. For generations, it has stood as one of the great guardians of the city’s dining scene: timeless hospitality, grand tradition, and the kind of theatre that never goes out of style.

Tuxedoed waiters gliding through the room, silver trolleys arriving for glorious tableside carving, a charming sommelier with stories as rich as the wine list, and a menu that reads like delicious British folklore: duck faggots (yes, that’s a dish!), hearty meat pies, and of course that legendary rib roast worthy of its own fan club.

In a city forever chasing the next new thing, this place reminds us why classics endure. Polished, proud, and unapologetically nostalgic—London dining at its most iconic. The great Jeremy King has done it again… in true style.  @jeremyrbking 
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