In my quest to find more alternative uses for 유자차 yujacha (Asian citron marmalade tea) beyond the traditional Korean hot drink, I came up with a sweet treat, Yujacha Rolls.
These rolls are much quicker to prepare than Yujacha Hamantashen but use the same filling. Hamantashen are triangle-shaped cookies filled with dried fruit or chocolate and traditionally eaten around the Jewish festival of Purim.
If you prefer a sweeter dough, follow the instructions for hamantashen dough.
Notes
inspired by Martha Stewart
Ingredients
- Dough
- 1 cup salted butter, at room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- Filling
- 1 1/3 cup yujacha (available in jars)
- 1 1/3 cup chopped walnuts (pine nuts would make an excellent alternative)
- 1/4 cup Chinese sugar (1/4 cup sugar + 2 teaspoons Chinese five spice powder)
Instructions
- Combine butter, cream cheese and salt in a bowl.
- With an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the mixture on the low setting for a a few minutes until the mixture is creamy.
- Add the flour slowly and continue mixing until the dough starts to form a ball.
- Sprinkle flour on the work surface, dump out the dough ball from the bowl, and continue kneading the dough for a couple more minutes. Make sure the flour and wet ingredients are all mixed together.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Roll the dough flat until it is about 1/4 inch thick.
- Put yujacha, sugar and walnuts in a small saucepan and warm them enough to allow the mixture to combine well.
- Spread the yujacha mixture all over the surface of the dough, as you would on a pizza.
- Once the dough is covered with the mixture, roll it into a log.
- Cut the log into 1- to 2-inch thick slices, like cutting a roll of kimbap or sushi. Rinse the knife periodically to ensure smooth cuts.
- Place the sliced rolls on a cookie sheet with a nonstick surface (such as a Silpat silicone pad or grease applied to the pan) and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven, and allow the rolls to cool a little before serving.
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