Soft Nuts Gangjeong (Crispy Nut Brittle Snack) with Cocoa
A chocolate-flavored gangjeong snack made by coating cereal and nuts in cocoa syrup and setting them gently until soft.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
This is great to enjoy like a chocolate bar by combining leftover cereal and nuts with cocoa powder syrup. The key to letting it set smoothly is not stirring the syrup until it boils completely. It is easier to chew softly rather than being hard like regular gangjeong, and it is simple to make.
- Servings
- about 3–4 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Not spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Nuts1 cup
- Cereal2 cups
Syrup
- Sugar4 tbsp
- Corn syrup (mulyeot)3 tbsp
- Water1 tbsp
- Cocoa powder2 tbsp
- Roughly chop oversized nuts like walnuts once or twice.
- Since it will be coated in syrup, it is best to choose cereal with low sugar content.
- Toasting the nuts once in a dry pan makes them much more savory and crispy.
Steps
1. Prepare 2 cups of cereal and 1 cup of assorted nuts in total.
Roughly chop oversized nuts like walnuts once or twice, and if you are buying cereal, it is best to buy one with low sugar content.
Since you will coat it in syrup, if the cereal is also very sweet, it will become overwhelmingly sweet to eat.
Toasting the nuts once in a dry pan makes them much more savory and crispy.
2. Add the syrup ingredients—excluding only the cocoa—4 tbsp sugar, 3 tbsp corn syrup (mulyeot), and 1 tbsp water to a pan,
and boil over medium heat.
At first, it starts simmering from the edges, then begins boiling all the way to the center.
Leave it alone and never stir until all the ingredients begin to boil.
Stirring halfway through causes crystals to form and ruins the syrup.
3. When the syrup is bubbling all over, add the cocoa powder...
4. Boil briefly to mix in...
5. Add the cereal and nuts...
6. Mix so that the syrup coats everything evenly.
7. Before the mixture taken out of the pan cools, line a mold with foil or a plastic food bag,
transfer the mixture into it, spread it out well with your hands, and press down firmly.
Covering the top with foil or similar and rolling it well with a rolling pin evens out the entire surface and improves adherence.
8. When it is halfway cooled, cut it into bite-sized pieces.
When completely cooled, it becomes hard, making it difficult to cut, producing lots of crumbs, and preventing neat shapes.
After cutting, just leave it in a cool place to dry completely.
Ppunwife's tips
- When boiling the syrup, leave it completely alone without stirring until all the ingredients begin to boil so that crystals do not form.
- When pressing into the mold, covering the top with foil and rolling firmly with a rolling pin evens out the entire surface and helps it stick together better.
- Gangjeong should be cut when it is halfway cooled to minimize crumbs and cut neatly; once completely cooled, it becomes hard and difficult to cut.
FAQ
Why shouldn't I stir the syrup while boiling?
If you stir with a spatula or utensil before the ingredients boil, sugar crystals will form and ruin the syrup, so you must leave it alone until the whole thing is bubbling.
When should I cut gangjeong to get neat shapes?
After it hardens completely, it becomes stiff and crumbles easily, so it is best to cut it into bite-sized pieces when it still retains some warmth and has cooled about halfway.
Is there a trick to make the nuts crispier and more savory?
Lightly toasting the nuts once in a dry pan brings out their savory aroma and crispy texture even more.
What should I keep in mind when choosing cereal for gangjeong?
Because you will coat it in sweet syrup, choosing a cereal with low sugar content keeps the overall sweetness from becoming overwhelming.
