Today I am introducing you to a delicious, sweet, crispy Korean dessert: a sesame peanut candy called kkae-ttangkong gangjeong. This is my version of a traditional Korean candy made with sesame seeds (called kkae-gangjeong) or peanuts (called ttangkong-gangjeong). I wanted to make these traditional candies more pretty, nutritious, and delicious so I combined them and added freeze dried strawberries and raspberries from an American grocery store.
The end result is sweet, crispy, light, delicious, easy to make and irresistible, especially when made with my homemade toasted sesame seeds. It’s not gooey at all: it’s a little brittle and breaks apart in your mouth, and the fruit gives it a tangy kick.
The recipe looks very simple but I actually spent a lot of time getting the measurements and the technique just right. This candy is not only delicious but it never goes soft or soggy, even if you leave in on the counter uncovered for a few days.
Try it out, and you can substitute peanuts or sesame seeds with either sesame seeds or peanuts, and you could experiment with other types of dried fruit, or just leave them out. The key point is to get everything ready before you make the syrup, because once that is ready and the nuts go in, you need to mix and spread quickly. Otherwise, the mixture will get hard in a few minutes, so it will be difficult for you to spread.
Try out the recipe and share it with your loved ones!
Ingredients
- 1 cup toasted sesame seeds (store bought or home-toasted
- 1 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
- ¼ cup freeze dried strawberries (optional)
- ¼ cup freeze dried raspberries (optional)
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
For the syrup:
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup rice or corn syrup
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon water
Directions
- Put the sesame seeds and peanuts in one bowl and the freeze dried fruit in another.
- Spread the vegetable oil on the cutting board with your hand. Massage some into a rolling pin with the oil.
- Put the sugar, syrup, kosher salt, and water in a small, heavy saucepan and cook over low heat.
- Let it boil for about 4 minutes until small bubbles come up around the edges of the pan. Don’t stir it, but lift the pan and tilt it so the syrup melt evenly.
- When the sugar is all melted, stir it with a wooden spoon. Keep stirring and lifting the wooden spoon in the air until you see sugar threads come off the syrup on the spoon.
- Add the sesame seeds and the peanuts to the syrup and mix well with the wooden spoon until it forms a big lump.
- Remove it from the heat and put the lump on the oiled cutting board. Quickly spread it out with the wooden spoon and add the freeze dried fruit.
- Roll it out with the rolling pin to a rectangle about 8 x 9 inches. Cut it into bite sized pieces about 2 x 1 inches with a sharp kitchen knife.
- Let cool and transfer to an air-tight container or plastic bag. You can keep it up to 1 week at room temperature and 3 months in the freezer.
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Made this today, came out great and granddaughter said “it’s the best candy ever!”..So thanks Maangchi, for helping me make my granddaughter smile!!
I’m so happy to hear that your granddaughter loves your sesame candy! You are such a great grandma!
The strawberries look like rose petals! Your granddaughter will never forget this sesame, strawberry-inlaid candy for the rest of her life!
Actually I like to think I’m a great Grandpa…lol…thanks Maangchi!
I forgot to reply even though I read your comment a while ago! Yes, what made me assume you are a grandmother! : ) Your way of answering is so cool!
i made it, thanx for recipe..
It looks so pretty and delicious! Congratulations!
Hi Maangchi! I’m from Poland and I love your recepies And I’ve just made this candy. It’s so delicious
We made a batch of this tonight for a late-night study group, but instead of working in freeze-dried fruit, we just made the sesame seed/peanut candy, put some sliced fresh fruit into bowls and let people top off their candy with whatever they wanted (kind of like putting cheese on a cracker ;) It was sticky cleanup, but a big hit! I’m sure we’ll be making this again. We might work in some sunflower seeds and chocolate chips this next time too.
We could never get the sugar mixture to string though – we made ours with honey instead of the syrup, so that might be why. Still turned out delicious – that’s what counts!
I made these the other day as a sweet treat for my family. Sesame seeds and peanuts are fantastic ingredients for sweets as they contain protein, vitamins, calcium and other minerals. I couldn’t find freeze dried strawberries or raspberries where I live so I used raisins instead, but they are still delicious! BTW I am going cooking through your blog and youtube recipes to learn Korean cooking and I am having so much fun doing it. I love the flavors, textures, and colours of Korean food. I am really enjoying this cooking project! :)
wow, the candy looks gorgeous!
Hi Maangchi,
Greetings from India! I’m just started learning about Korean food and your recipes and videos are just great for that.
The sesame peanut candy looks great. We have a similar dish in India called Chikki which is made with jaggery, sesame seeds and/or peanuts.
Thanks!
Radhika
Hello Maangchi!!
Is it ok to use black sesame seeds also? And should I toast the black seeds like the white ones?
yes, use toasted black sesame seeds.
wow thanks maangchi that was great candy i will try to make
Can maltose be use instead of corn syrup..?
I can’t guarantee it will work well. Use corn or rice syrup, please.
you are as sweet as your candy!!!!!!
this is the photo of the gangjeong I just made! I substituted honey for syrup because I forgot the word for the right syrup and failed to ask correctly at the store, but! It worked well, I think. It’s cooling now but I had alll the leftover candy sticking to the bowl
Thanks for letting me know! Your candy looks very crunchy!
No matter what you make, your food always looks so pretty and delicious!
Maangchi I feel like you made this recipe just for me, lol! I absolutely love sesame seed candy and freeze dried strawberries! Sounds like a wonderful combo! Can’t wait to try!
Thanks! Good luck with making yummy sesame candy!
Maangchi,
I made this last night and I frozen raspberries and strawberries started to thaw and leak after I’ve rolled them with the rolling pin. Is that normal?
You need to use freeze dried fruit or dried fruit instead of frozen fruit. Freeze dried fruit doesn’t contain any water.http://media.maangchi.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/freeze-dried-fruits.jpg
Maangchi, I tried making it again, this time using freeze dried strawberries and it worked! I gave some to my friends as a present as they just got married. Thank you for the recipe! :) Now, I just need a recipe to use up my frozen strawberries and raspberries. :p
OMG, I’m very happy to hear that! Congratulations!
Hi VictoriaNg,
“Now, I just need a recipe to use up my frozen strawberries and raspberries. :p”
Look here:
“Koreans make fruit liquor by mixing soju and fruits like strawberry, maesil (plums), grapes, and apples.”
Guess who wrote this … ;-)
Just mix fruit with white sugar (1/1), let them sit for 2 days and cover
them with alcohol (20% strong at least; soju e. g., you may use a
stronger, clear and tasteless kind and dilute it with water).
Let it sit for a few weeks. Filter and bottle. Enjoy!
As for the frozen raspberries: Try resetting them … oops … ;-D
Mix them with sugar-syrup, add a pinch of vanilla and blend them, still
frozen. Instant icecream! Add unflavoured yoghurt, if you like.
Bye, Sanne.
These look so yummy! I’m going to surprise my hubby with them later this week. Thanks for the awesome recipe!!! Ps will cashews or almonds work in place of the peanuts?
Wow…..can`t wait to make it…but…if I don’t have rice syrup, what kind of syrup can substitute it?
Salaam Aleikum Ina,
Any syrup works just fine!
Me too… I don’t have rice syrup and I don’t think that I can find it in my country… Something like honey will not work, will it?
Corn syrup will work well, too.