Dasik (Korean pressed tea sweets)
Small, naturally flavored Korean tea sweets pressed into patterns and served with tea. This easy home version uses toasted sesame and honey, with a small mold or a spoon.
AI-generated cooking illustrations. Follow the written quantities and instructions.
Ingredients
4 servings
Everyday kitchen measurements
For 4 servings. Use a small 180 ml paper cup, a level eating spoon (about 15 ml) and a small teaspoon (about 5 ml).
How to fill the cup and spoons
Use the same cup and spoons throughout. Their sizes vary, so these amounts are approximate. Spoon flour in loosely and level the top without pressing. Measure vegetables after chopping, without packing them down. The amounts in g/ml are the original reference quantities. For part of a pack, use the specified pack weight and divide the contents evenly.
King Arthur Baking-
Essential
Toast and grind the seeds finely; white sesame can be used but changes the color and flavor.
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Essential
Add gradually until the sesame mixture holds together when pinched.
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Optional
Omit for a sweeter, simple version.
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Optional
Omit if unavailable.
Tap each ingredient as you prepare it. Check product labels for egg, soy, sesame, wheat, fish or shellfish where relevant.
Step-by-step cooking
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Step 1
Put 1 paper cup black sesame seeds in a dry pan over low heat. Stir for 3 to 4 minutes until fragrant, then transfer to a plate and let them cool completely.
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Step 2
Grind the cooled sesame in short pulses using a clean spice grinder or mortar until it becomes a fine, slightly moist powder. Stop before it turns into a paste. If the powder is coarse, sift it once.
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Step 3
Tip the sesame powder into a bowl. Add 2 level tablespoons honey and a tiny pinch of salt if using. Mix, then squeeze a little between your fingers; add up to 1 more tablespoon honey only if it crumbles apart.
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Step 4
Pinch off small pieces and roll them into balls about the size of a large grape. Keep the portions small so they press neatly and are easy to eat.
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Step 5
Press each ball into a clean small cookie mold, candy mold or measuring spoon. If it sticks, line the mold with a small piece of plastic wrap. Press firmly, then ease the sweet out without pulling its pattern apart.
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Step 6
Arrange the pressed sweets on a plate with the pattern facing up. Add a few sesame seeds if using. Let them rest uncovered for 10 minutes to firm, then serve with unsweetened tea.
Finished dish
A paper cup is 180 ml; a level tablespoon is 15 ml. If you do not own a dasik mold, use a clean small candy mold or press with the back of a fork. Contains sesame; honey is unsafe for babies under 12 months.