Korean White Bean Paste Cookies (Sangtugwaja) Gluten-Free

I'm always so excited to share my family's favorite recipes here, and this time I'm sharing one of my mom's favorite cookies ever. Bean Paste Cookies (a.k.a. 상투과자)♥️ You might not think of bean paste when you hear the word cookie, but you do if you’re Korean. Sangtugwaja is just that, white bean paste cookies. Delicate, soft and fudgy, these cookies are one of those one-biters that make you roll your eyes back in satisfaction. Really! And the best part is that they’re ready in minutes, and you only need five ingredients and a piping bag.

Ingredients Used to Make This

_{**I've linked some of these ingredients to amazon.com to give you an idea of what they are, but you should also be able to find them in your local grocery store (usually, the natural & organic food section). They are also affiliate links, which means that I earn a commission as an Amazon Associate if you decide to purchase the items. The price will be the same for you, link or no link 🙂}

• Sweetened White Bean Paste (a.k.a. Shiro An): I eat this stuff by spoonfuls! It's a versatile ingredient that goes inside my sweet rice mochi recipe as well my tofu mochi recipe, but it's also used as fillings inside sweet breads, pancakes, cookies and more. While some asian grocery stores carry them, I usually buy them in bulk directly from a Korean bakery. You can also find Sweetened White Bean paste online (just look up Shiro An on Amazon). Or make your own. I recommend this recipe from Just One Cookbook.

• Egg yolk - the traditional recipe uses egg yolks as a binder for these cookies, and is not vegan. You could try using egg substitutes like flaxseeds and chia, but I haven't tried using them so I can't say much on whether they work.
• Milk - milk of your choice. I used almond milk since that was what I had at home.
• Honey - honey is what I used, but good substitutes include brown rice syrup, maple syrup or agave syrup.
• Coconut Flour - almond flour can also be used instead, but please read the recipe note since you'll need a different amount.

Equipment

Ateco 869 Pastry Tube - French Star - Size 9

Recipes Using Bean Paste (SEE MORE HERE)

How to Make

Recipe Variations and Optional Add Ins:

• Love Coffee? Just add 1-2 tsp of coffee extract (1 tsp of instant coffee granules plus 1 tsp hot water) to the bean paste batter before baking. For the mocha version, add 1 Tbsp of cocoa powder
• Matcha bean paste cookies - add 1 tsp of matcha powder to the batter
• This recipe is very food coloring friendly, so you can color the cookie batter to whatever color you like before piping.
• Add natural flavoring / extracts. You can add a teaspoon of vanilla extract (I didn't feel like it was essential so I left it out in this recipe), or other flavorings or extracts, such as caramel flavoring, hazelnut extract or almond extract.
• You can also use sweetened red bean paste (a.k.a. Koshi An) if you can't find the white bean paste near you.

How to Store

• You can store these cookies in an airtight container - in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze up to 4 months.

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