How to Upgrade Your K-Snacks!
No matter how many times I've been told to stop playing with my food, I refuse to listen. But it always ends up coming in handy. Rather than simply eating out of the bag, I "upgrade" my snacks by making them into something brand new! In this article, you'll learn how to turn a bag of Honey Butter Chips into yummy Baked Honey Butter Chicken, and turn a box of Oh!Yes cakes into an Icebox cake. Each Instagram post has photos and video of how to make these K-snack inspired dishes.
Honey Butter Chip as Honey Butter Chicken - Honey Butter is still an immensely popular flavor in Korea. Chicken is also really popular, and in my house, we are big fans of crispy baked chicken- so when I used Honey Butter Chips to bread them, it was a big hit! Not only was it tasty, it was super simple as well. All you need is:
- 1 pound of Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast-
- 4 eggs
- 1 Cup of Flour
- a bag of Honey Butter Chips (or any of your favorite Korean chips!)
- cookie sheet with a piece of parchment (
he parchment is to prevent the sugar in the chips from gluing the Chicken Breast to the tray)
To start, preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, line your cookie sheet with a piece of parchment. Set your prep up by whisking eggs in a bowl large enough for the chicken to be dipped in the eggs, putting a cup of flour into another bowl of similar size, and grabbing one last bowl for the chips. To crush the chips to the best size, open the bag of chips and then crush em in your hands. This keeps the size big enough for the best crunch.
One chicken breast at a time, coat each side of the chicken breast evenly in the flour. Try to shake off any loose flour. This will cause an unpleasant flour ball to bite into. Then, dunk each side into the whisked eggs and then hold it so that the excess egg runs off before placing it in the chips. When covering the Chicken, try to press the chips tightly so that they adhere before knocking off the chips that didn't stick. This video shows how to properly coat your Chicken if you need a visual example!
Place the chicken about an inch apart on the tray and place it in the oven for 45 minutes or a little bit longer for more crunch. Once the chicken is fully cooked, take the tray out of the oven and let it sit for a minute or two before serving. Any sides are good with this sweet, buttery chicken, but for this last time, I paired roasted Sweet Potato Sticks (see the second photo on this post). Remember, all ovens vary in temperature and cook time. Always ensure your food is fully cooked. Chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
So what if you're not up for dinner? Or if you just have a sweet tooth? Here’s an even easier recipe!
Oh!Yes Icebox Cake - For dessert, I recommend making an Icebox cake using Oh!Yes snack cakes or the more well known Choco Pies if you can't find Oh!Yes in your local Asian store. Now, this treat does take some time before you can actually eat it, but it is definitely worth it! What you'll need:
- 1 box of Oh!Yes cakes or 2 boxes of Choco Pie
- 2 tubs of Whipped Cream, thawed
- A 9x5 loaf pan OR an 8 in round cake pan
- Plastic wrap
- Any extra fillings, syrup, candies, or nuts
The last time I made this Icebox cake, I forgot a few important details such as lining the pan with cream and adding the caramel that we planned to add at the right time, so here are foolproof instructions!
First, completely line your chosen pan with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic hangs over the edges enough to grab once it's filled. Next, you want to add half a tub of Whipped cream to the pan, spreading it thin and evenly and coating the sides (if you need a little more than half, that is okay. Spread a layer of your chosen K-snack making sure they are nicely compact.
If using a loaf pan to make your Icebox cake, keep the snack cakes more in the center and fill in the sides with Whipped Cream. I show you how in the Instagram video.
Use the remaining Whipped Cream from the first tub and cover the cakes completely. If you want any other filling or flavors, this is the best time to add it. I chose a thick caramel sauce. Create one more layer of both the cakes and then Whipped cream making sure it is still even (this will be your base) before using another piece of plastic wrap to cover the Whipped Cream completely to prevent freezer burn.
Place your "cake" in the freezer for 4 hours at least, until the Whipped Cream is stiff and hold its shape. Once set, remove the top piece of plastic and then place your serving plate over the top of it. With one hand on top and one hand underneath, flip your cake upside down so that it is sitting on your chosen plate. Remove the pan and all of the plastic wrap. You can use the last of the whipped cream to decorate your cake or to just hide the plastic wrap lines.
I chose to just drizzle some more Caramel over the top of mine, but you can decorate your cake however you want! Serve immediately or keep it cool in the refrigerator. Not ready to eat it right away? You can freeze your Icebox Cake for up to 2 days!
There you have it! A K-snack dinner night complete with dessert! Do you make fun foods with your K-snacks? Or do you like to stick to straight out of the Snack Fever box style?
Written by matchalexie
