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Hodu-gwaja are bite-size, walnut-shaped cakes with a piece of walnut baked inside, sold warm in paper bags at train stations and highway rest stops. This keto version uses an almond-flour batter and a sweet cream cheese filling in place of red bean paste. A cake-pop maker or mini muffin tin works if you do not have walnut molds.
Per serving: 230 calories · 2.9 g net carbs · 6 g protein · 22 g fat (calculated from the ingredients)
What You’ll Need
Ingredients
- 1 cup blanched almond flour
- 1/4 cup allulose
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Filling: 3 ounces cream cheese, softened, mixed with 1 tablespoon allulose
- 1/2 cup walnut pieces
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C), or heat a walnut-cake mold or cake-pop maker. Grease well.
- Whisk the almond flour, allulose, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, butter, cream and vanilla and whisk into a smooth, thick batter.
- Fill each mold or mini muffin cup halfway with batter. Add a small piece of walnut and 1/2 teaspoon of the cream cheese filling, then cover with a little more batter.
- Bake for 14 to 16 minutes (or cook in the mold according to its instructions), until golden and springy.
- Cool for 5 minutes before removing. Serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
About This Dish
Hodu-gwaja were first made in Cheonan in 1934, according to the city’s best-known shop, which still claims the original recipe. Cheonan is famous for walnut trees, which a Goryeo-era official is said to have brought back from China and planted nearby. The cakes became a classic travel snack because Cheonan was a major railway stop, and vendors sold them on trains and platforms. Today they are found at highway rest areas across Korea. Each cake is cast in a walnut-shaped iron mold.
This recipe is from The Ultimate Korean Keto Cookbook by Gisele Costello, Chapter 11: Desserts (N Seoul Tower). See all Korean recipes