How To Make Korean Dalgona Sponge Candy from Squid Game (Ppopgi)
Course: Sweets
Cuisine: Korean
Prep Time: 5 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 3 minutesminutes
Total Time: 8 minutesminutes
Servings: 1Dalgona candy
Calories: 77kcal
Author: Marvellina
Learn how to make this easy 2-ingredient Korean Dalgona Candy made popular by Netflix's Squid Game, at home. You don't need to have Dalgona candy kit to make them. You can make individual candy or make several candies at one go. Everything you need to know to make this successfully at home. Step-by-step instructions and a video tutorial are included.
Options 1: Get everything you need within your reach
Line a baking sheet with silicone mat or parchment paper/wax paper. Scoop a super tiny pinch of baking soda. Get a stainless-steel ladle, one chopstick, cookie cutter, a press, rubber spatula, your phone/timer, within your reach
If you plan to make more than one, get a pot of hot water on the stove ready too so you can soak the ladle in the pot immediately after you are done. The sticky sugar will come off easily
Start melting the sugar:
Pour 20 grams or 1 1/2 Tbsp of sugar into the ladle. Turn on the stove. I position the knob at between medium and low. Put the ladle on top of the fire and watch the sugar starting to melt starting from the edge. Start to gently stir with a chopstick
The sugar will continue to melt and darken in color. Keep stirring. If it gets dark too quickly, you want to move your ladle up a bit so it's a bit farther from the heat source and move down if you think it needs more heat. This is how you control the heat by moving up and down. If you still see bits of sugar, keep stirring until all sugar melts completely
Adding baking soda:
Once the sugar has melted completely, move the ladle away from the fire and add the tiny pinch of baking soda and you will see the color turns into lighter caramel color and keep stirring for about 5 seconds and then pour this liquid onto the mat/parchment paper and quickly switch to spatula to help you scrape off the rest of the liquid sugar onto the mat/parchment. After adding baking soda, don't stir for too long or the sugar gets too dark and turn bitter
Pressing:
Once you are done pouring, start the timer for 15-20 seconds. You may need to experiment a bit with the time, but it should be between 15-20 seconds, at least that's what I discovered. I used 20 seconds
Then use the press to gently press down, not too hard, but enough to flatten. You will get the hang of it, don't worry. Remove the press and it shouldn't stick to the press and quickly but gently press down the cookie cutter in the middle, to make indentation. Don't press so hard that the cookie cutter cut through the candy though. Phew...you just made one ;)
Submerge ladle and spatula in hot water:
Immediately submerge the ladle and spatula in hot water you prepare. The sugar will come off easily. Dry the ladle and spatula and get ready for the next one following the same steps above
Once they have cooled down completely, gently remove the Dalgona candy from the mat/parchment. If using mat, you can gently peel them off the mat
Option 2: cooking with saucepan or non-stick pan
Line a baking sheet with silicone mat or parchment paper/wax paper. Get the baking soda ready. Prepare cookie cutters, a press, rubber spatula, your phone/timer, within your reach
Put sugar, water, corn syrup in a pan and stir. Turn on the stove to medium-low. Don't stir anymore and let the sugar melts on its own. You will see large bubbles boiling rapidly at first, keep cooking, but don't stir. Eventually the bubbles will get smaller and the boiling slows down a bit and sugar starts to change color to light yellowish color and the sugar thickens slightly. If you have a thermometer, it will be around 300 F. If not, no worries. Turn off the stove and add baking soda and keep stirring vigorously for about 10-15 seconds
Pour this over the mat, you can get about 3-4. You may not be able to get a perfect round, but don't sweat it. Wait for about 10 seconds and then press the liquid candy to flatten slightly on all of them and then quickly stamp on the cookie cutter on each one
Soak the pot and spatula in hot water and the sticky candy will come off easily
Once they have cooled down completely, gently remove the Dalgona candy from the mat/parchment. If using mat, you can gently peel them off the mat
Video
Notes
Adding corn syrup really improves the texture and the taste of the candy.