Sweetened Rice with Dried Fruits and Nuts (Yaksik)

Yak means “medicine” in Korean, and sik means “food.” Koreans have long associated honey, jujubes, pine nuts, chestnuts, and cinnamon with good health. Made by steaming rice with nuts, dried fruits, sugar, and honey, yaksik is most often eaten as a snack, but it can also be served as a dessert. It is chewy like rice cakes but sweeter, and the twice-steamed
rice glistens and sticks together nicely. Jujubes are less well known in the United States than in Korea, where they are prized for their medicinal properties and enjoyed for their sweetness. If you have trouble finding them, you can substitute an additional 1½ cups raisins or dried cranberries (which have a similarly brilliant color). Yaksik is not difficult to make, but it does take some time. I like to make a large batch, portion it out, and keep it in the freezer, ready to defrost and serve when needed.

Makes 9 pieces

INGREDIENTS:

• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup water
• 2 cups glutinous rice (chap-ssal), rinsed and soaked in cold water for
• 4 to 6 hours
• ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 15 to 20 dried jujubes (daechu), washed and patted dry
• 1 (13-ounce) can chestnuts in syrup, drained and left whole
• ¼ cup raisins or dried cranberries
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
  ¼ cup honey

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Combine the granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons of the water in a small heavy saucepan and cook over medium heat, without stirring, until the syrup bubbles and begins to turn golden, about 6 minutes. Turn the heat down to low, swirl the pan, and cook until the caramel is uniformly deep amber. Remove from the heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons water, and swirl again; do not stir. Let the caramel sauce cool in the pan.
2. Drain the rice. Put about 5 cups water in a large pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Line a steamer basket with cheesecloth or a clean cotton kitchen towel and spread the rice evenly in the basket. Steam the rice, covered, for 40 minutes. Turn the rice over with a wooden spoon, cover, turn the heat down to medium, and cook until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes more.
3. Meanwhile, combine the brown sugar, soy sauce, vegetable oil, sesame oil, and cinnamon in a bowl and mix well to make the seasoning sauce.
4. Cut the jujubes in half and remove the pits with a knife.
5. Transfer the cooked rice to a large bowl. Add the chestnuts, raisins, pine nuts, jujubes, caramel sauce, seasoning sauce, and honey. Mix well with a wooden spoon.
6. Add more water to the steamer and bring to a boil over medium heat. Put the rice mixture in the lined steamer basket, cover, and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes until the rice is chewy and sticks together.
7. Line an 8-x-10-inch square baking dish with plastic wrap so the ends extend over the sides of the dish. Transfer the rice to the baking dish, pressing it down with a spatula to get the grains to stick together. Let cool completely.
8. Use the plastic wrap to lift the yaksik out of the dish. Cut into 9 rectangles. Serve immediately, or wrap the pieces in plastic and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw on the countertop for 30 minutes before serving, or reheat each piece in the microwave for about a minute and serve warm.