Two warm shell-shaped rice cakes with overnight kinako cream and salted rice-syrup caramel.

Heat oven to 175°C conventional / 165°C fan. Brush 28 shell mould cavities lightly with butter; use two batches if necessary.

Brown the butter until the milk solids are hazelnut-coloured and aromatic; immediately transfer to a bowl.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Separately whisk egg, milk, vanilla, and browned butter, then whisk wet into dry until completely smooth.

Portion about 28g batter into each cavity. Bake 18–24 minutes until deeply golden at the edges and set in the centre. Cool completely, unmould, and refrigerate covered with parchment between layers.

Sift the kinako and icing sugar. Whisk them with the mascarpone, salt, vanilla, and 50g of the cream until completely smooth.

Add the remaining cold cream and whip to medium peaks: stable enough to hold overnight but still soft enough to spoon.

Transfer to a piping bag or covered container and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bring out 10 minutes before plating; if held in a container, fold gently once or twice and do not re-whip. Allow about 25g per plate.

Cook sugar and water without stirring to a deep amber caramel.

Remove from heat and carefully whisk in warm cream. Add jocheong, butter, and salt.

Simmer 1–2 minutes until glossy. Cool and refrigerate; loosen with a little warm water if needed for service.

Reheat the shell tteok at 180°C / 170°C fan for 6–8 minutes until hot with crisp edges. Brush with warm browned butter as they leave the oven.

Spoon 10–12g fluid caramel irregularly just off-centre on each warm white plate. Loosely lean two shell tteok together, partly over the caramel.

Add a relaxed 25g spoonful of cold kinako cream beside the tteok. Dust naturally with kinako, finish the tteok with a few flakes of salt, and send immediately.