Honey Butter Tteok

(Sweet Tteokbokki)

I make a lot of Korean rice cakes the spicy way, but this one goes the opposite direction. My mother-in-law used to make sweet tteok simply, heated and rolled in sugar, and it's still one of my favorite ways to eat it. This honey butter version is a little more involved but just as easy, sweet, sticky, and ready in minutes. I doubled the recipe I was working from and added a pinch of salt to cut the sweetness, which made a real difference.

What you need:

• 2 cups Korean rice cakes (240g)

• 2 tbsp butter (30g)

• 2 tbsp honey (42g)

• 1 tbsp regular soy sauce (15g)

• A pinch of salt

How to make it:

If your rice cakes are refrigerated or frozen, soak them in warm water until they soften all the way through, then drain.

Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat until it foams slightly.

Add the rice cakes and toss to coat, letting them pick up a little color in spots.

Add the honey, soy sauce, and salt. Keep tossing until every piece is glossy and evenly coated and the sauce has thickened slightly into a glaze.

Serve warm, straight out of the pan.

Notes: The pinch of salt isn't in the original recipe I started from, but it balances the honey so the dish doesn't read as purely sweet. If you like a deeper glaze, let the rice cakes sit a beat longer before tossing so they pick up more color before the sauce goes in.