Korean Half Moon Rice Cakes or Songpyon Recipe, Korea Recipes, free dessert recipes

Korean Recipe for Half Moon Rice Cakes or Songpyon

INGREDIENTS FOR HALF MOON RICE CAKES

5 cups rice
1 tbsp salt
1 cup sweet bean flour
2 oz mugwort
10 jujubes (pitted & chopped fine)
2 tbsp honey
1/2 cup sesame seeds
10 chestnuts
2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 cup sugar
food coloring (yellow, green, pink)

FYI: Mugwort is also known as Felon Herb, Chrysanthemum Weed, Wild Wormwood or St. John's Plant. The Japanese name for it is Mogusa or Yomogi. Because it contains the toxin thujone, children and pregnant women should avoid consuming large quantities of mugwort. Can be purchased from health stores.

Image of Korean Half Moon Rice Cakes or Songpyon

We hope you will enjoy making this traditional and popular Korean dessert known as Songpyon or Half Moon Rice Cakes.

To prepare:

Wash the rice well then soak it for 1 hour, drain
Grind the soaked rice very finely, add salt then strain again
Peel the chestnuts then boil them till tender
Put chestnuts through a sieve
Using a wok, dry fry the sesame seeds to enhance the flavor then set aside
Using the same wok, simmer the sweet bean flour with 1/2 cup sugar
Add in salt and honey
Divide the ground rice into 3 equal parts
In a bowl, put 1 part ground rice then add in a bit of food coloring
Knead using a spoon, adding boiling water every so often till you get a dough-like texture
Repeat the same with the rest of the coloring
Arrange the following on a platter: jujube, sesame seeds and sweet bean flour mix
Pull a small piece of the dough, form it into a half moon shape then fill it up with a bit from each of the platter
Seal the dough pieces well and put them on a steamer plate
When you have made enough, steam the dough pieces over boiling water
Remove after about 15 mins or when dough has turned bright color then brush with sesame oil
Serve at room temperature

FYI: Songpyon or Half Moon Rice Cakes is made during the festival of Ch'uSok or Harvest Festival Day and is considered a national holiday in Korea. A great fest is usually prepared and memorial services dedicated to departed loved ones. It is finished with the viewing of the full moon in the evening.

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