Coconut custard cupcakes (khanom krok)

This is an ancient Thai dessert that can still be found on the streets of Bangkok today. This delicacy is topped with various ingredients, such as chives, corn and taro.

Credit: Alana Dimou

• serves

  5

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  5 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Khanom krok is cooked on the stovetop in a special frying pan with spherical indentations, similar to a Danish Æbelskiver pan, Dutch poffertje pan or Japanese takoyaki pan. If you’re unable to find a khanom krok pan (or one of its cousins), small stainless steel moulds placed in a frying pan can be used instead.

Ingredients

• 200 g (7 oz) rice flour
• 50 g (1¾ oz) white glutinous rice flour
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
• 360 ml (12 fl oz) coconut cream
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil, for greasing
• 3 spring onions (scallions), 2 tbsp sweet corn kernels or small bunch chives, finely chopped, to serve

Filling

• 1 tbsp rice flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 65 g (2¼ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
• 360 ml (12 fl oz) coconut cream

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the rice flours, salt and caster sugar. Slowly add the coconut cream to the dry ingredients, followed by 360 ml (12 fl oz) hot water, stirring with a whisk as you go, until you have a smooth batter. Set aside.
2. To make the filling, combine the rice flour, salt and caster sugar in a mixing bowl, then whisk in the coconut cream and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
3. Grease a khanom krok pan with the vegetable oil and place over medium heat until a small amount of batter dropped into the pan immediately sizzles. Stir the batter to mix well, then pour into the indentations until each one is two-thirds full. Stir the filling to mix well, then gently pour on top of the batter until each of the indentations is full. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 5 minutes, until the filling is set, then remove the khanom krok from the indentations with a spoon and transfer to a serving plate.
4. Sprinkle the khanom krok with spring onion, corn or chives and serve while still warm.

 

Recipe and images from Bangkok Local by Sareen Rojanametin and Jean Thamthanakorn, Smith Street Books, RRP $39.99

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Khanom krok is cooked on the stovetop in a special frying pan with spherical indentations, similar to a Danish Æbelskiver pan, Dutch poffertje pan or Japanese takoyaki pan. If you’re unable to find a khanom krok pan (or one of its cousins), small stainless steel moulds placed in a frying pan can be used instead.