Apple Hottoek

1. For the dough: In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the yeast, sugar and warm water and set aside to bloom and become foamy, about 10 minutes.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment, mix together the flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture slowly and stir until just combined. Slowly add the milk and mix until the dough starts to come together. Continue kneading until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 10 minutes. It will still be very tacky to the touch.
3. Oil a large bowl generously. Put the dough in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and put in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours. Then, using oiled hands or a plastic bench scraper, fold one side of the dough over itself. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes or overnight. (Chilling the dough isn’t essential, but it makes it infinitely easier to shape the cakes.)
4. For the apple filling: Stir together the cornstarch and cold water until the cornstarch is dissolved.
5. In a medium saucepan, combine the apples, brown sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, cinnamon and salt and cook over medium-low heat until the apples are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla paste. Drizzle in the cornstarch slurry while mixing and cook until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Cool completely until thick, at least 2 hours at room temperature or preferably overnight in the refrigerator. Stir the pecans into the cooled apple filling.
6. To shape the cakes, oil a work surface (or use a rimmed baking sheet if your counter is porous, like wood) and oil your hands. Working with one portion at a time, pinch off a ball of chilled dough about the size of a tennis ball (about 3 ounces). Roll it into a ball, then place it on the oiled surface and use your fingers to flatten it into a circle about 4 inches across. Put about 2 tablespoons of the filling in the center of the dough. Using your fingers, pull the dough up around the filling to enclose it, pinching the top to seal. If there are holes in the dough, try your best to pinch them shut, but don’t stress about it. (It’s easier to avoid holes once you get the hang of it.) Repeat with the remaining dough and filling, making 14 to 15 cakes. If the dough starts to become too sticky, put the dough and filling back in the refrigerator to chill again.
7. Heat 1 inch of vegetable oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat until it reaches 325 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer. Line a sheet pan with a wire rack for draining the hottoek.
8. Working in batches, place the filled cakes sealed-side down onto the pan, then press lightly down to flatten them slightly. Cook until the bottom is lightly browned, about 3 minutes, then flip over. Cook until both sides of the cake are lightly browned and the dough is cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes total, flipping the cakes over now and again to prevent any one side from scorching. Transfer to the rack and repeat with the remaining cakes.
9. Serve the cakes warm with the Gochujang Caramel and vanilla ice cream.

Gochujang Caramel:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the cream and gochujang. Set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, stir together the sugar, water and salt over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook without stirring until the sugar turns a deep amber color, 5 to 6 minutes.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and pour in the cream mixture to stop the caramel from browning further. (Be careful. The cream will bubble up aggressively when it hits the sugar.) Stir until smooth. When cool enough, taste and stir in a pinch more salt or more gochujang if desired.