Kanom Koke

Did everyone have a fun, safe New Year celebration? Great!

Ours was low key, which is just what we needed after spending 6 days with my family. Just kidding, Mom! It was fun, but with nieces and babies and all around general chaos, it was nice to spend an evening just chillaxing. But I do want to post yet another highlight from our visit.

Another of Mom's friends, Auntie P, who wouldn't stand to be outdone by the tapioca pork dumplings, offered to make another one of my favorite sweets, kanom koke. It's hard to believe that I haven't had these since my last visit to Thailand, 9 years ago! (Where does the time go? It still seems like yesterday!)

How do I describe these?

Imagine a custard crossed with a pancake. They are made with rice flour and coconut milk and fried up in a special pan with several wells. The bottoms become crispy while the centers are still soft but firm. Hard to explain. You'll just have to taste.

These tasties can be embellished by adding slightly cooked, diced pumpkin or taro to the batter, but here's the basic version:

Rice flour is mixed with coconut milk. Pandan leaves or essence are added, much like vanilla would be to a dessert. A pinch of salt and sugar may also be added, but it's not necessary as another sweetened mixture will be added on top. The batter is heated until it thickens slightly and the flavor from the pandan leaves is released.

Auntie said the sweets are named after the pan used to cook them (koke = hole). Luckily I already have a pan like this I use to make Danish aebleskiver, a kind of round pancake. The batter is poured into the greased wells and allowed to set slightly.

After the batter sets a little, a second mixture of coconut cream mixed with a little coconut milk, chives (we used green onions), sugar and salt are put on top.

They're done with the edges and bottom crisp and the centers firm up.

Don't they look great? The texture is custard-y yet firm-ish. The bottom is slightly crispy and caramelized. They taste best eaten warm. My cousin said she ate these for breakfast every morning before school. I think I could do that too!

Compared to the tapioca dumplings, these were a breeze to make! I'll try to get a recipe posted once I replicate them myself.

Weekend Wokking: Pumpkin Coconut Creme Brulee

There’s really nothing to say about this dessert, except that it’s absolutely fabulous! Everybody who tastes it will sing your praises. They’ll tell you that you’re a genius. They’ll tell you that your pumpkin coconut crème brulee is probably the best they’ve ever tasted. You’ll even have the die-hard-vanilla-only-crème-brulee purists wrapped around your finger. It’s that good.




Note: I used garam masala because this dessert was destined for an Indian food potluck. You may choose the more traditional spices found in pumpkin pie or Emeril's suggestions.

Pumpkin Coconut Crème Brulee
adapted from Emeril’s recipe

• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup light brown sugar
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ½ tsp garam masala
• 1 cup mashed pumpkin
• 8 egg yolks
• approx 2 tbs raw sugar for the top (I hear granulated works fine too)
  

In a medium saucepan, heat the coconut milk, heavy cream, sugars and garam masala just to the boiling point, stirring frequently.

While the cream is heating, in a large glass or non-reactive bowl, whip the egg yolks until they are pale, about 2 minutes.

Temper the eggs by adding about a cup of the hot cream slowly with vigorous whipping. Add the remaining cream and mashed pumpkin. Whisk well to mix thoroughly.

Strain the mixture through a semi-fine sieve. Don’t skip this step because the pumpkin may have some coarse or gritty bits in it. Divide the custard among eight ½ cup ramekins or a casserole dish that can hold about 4 cups. Place in a water bath (use boiling water), making sure the water goes at least halfway up the sides of the ramekins or casserole. Bake at 300F. The ramekins will take about an hour. It took me 1.5 hours for the larger casserole. These times are approximate. The custard will not be firm like a quiche, but it shouldn't appear runny either. It’s best to use your judgment. If it still looks too wobbly, leave it in for longer, checking every 10 minutes or so.

Once the custard is done, remove it from the oven and place it on a rack to cool to room temperature before sticking it in the fridge to set overnight.

To serve, put the custard in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before caramelizing the sugar on top. If you are going to use a broiler for the job, freeze the custard for 45 minutes to 1 hour, otherwise the custard will be warm and loose, rather than thick and creamy. Trust me, it won’t freeze through. Serve immediately after caramelizing the sugar.


This is my submission to Weekend Wokking (just in the nick of time!), created by Wandering Chopsticks. Precious Pea is hosting this month. Check out the round-up at her site this coming Wednesday to see the other submissions and to get the next secret ingredient. To find out who’s hosting or if you’re interesting in hosting, click here.

Doing it Asian-style

When I found out the theme for Sugar High Friday this month is classic desserts with an Asian twist, I was on it like white on rice. I've already made 3 or 4 desserts that fit this theme. Check out the DESSERTS link in the right side bar. My favorite is the Thai tea crème brulee.

One of my favorite sweet combinations is coconut milk and bananas. This can be found in many guises, such as coconut, sticky rice and banana steamed in banana leaf (or bamboo) or deep-fried bananas drizzled with coconut sauce, or bananas Foster with a dollop of coconut ice cream. I’m a simple girl and don't need anything nearly so fancy. Give me a bowl of slightly sweetened coconut milk seasoned with a pinch of salt, throw in a cut up banana and I’m happy. But wouldn't I be happier eating it as ice cream? Or how about banana split-style??



Coconut milk and Banana Chunk Ice Cream
makes a generous quart

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1.5 cups coconut milk (lite is fine)
• 7 egg yolks
• 6 oz sugar/ 3/4 cup (see note)
• ½ tsp kosher salt (see note)
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 firm banana, well chilled
  

Note: Salt in ice cream? Absolutely!! Salt is commonly used in Thai desserts that contain coconut. I think it works beautifully to enhance the flavor of the coconut milk. Also, I'm going to try to remember to use weights for things like sugar, salt and flour because it makes everything more consistent.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream and ½ cup of coconut milk just to the boiling point (but don't let it boil).

In the meantime, whisk the eggs with an electric mixer until they are pale and thick. Gradually add in the sugar and whisk well. Make sure to scrape down the sides occasionally.

Slowly add the scalded cream to the egg mixture while whisking vigorously. When it’s all incorporated, pour the custard back into the saucepan, add the salt and heat over medium heat to 175º. Strain the custard into a large bowl but do not push the debris through the strainer. Add the remaining coconut milk and vanilla. Give it a good stir, then cover and place in the fridge to chill.

Once it’s completely chilled, churn in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Before you start churning, put the whole, un-peeled banana in the freezer to chill. About 2 minutes before the ice cream is done, cut it into small dice and add it to the ice cream.

There was a lot of spoon fighting going on here.

Here are some other Asian-fied desserts that may pique your interest: Ube and Blueberry Swirl Ice Cream, Chocolate Matcha Marble Cupcakes, Matcha Cocoa Brownies, Lychee Mousse Cake, Tamarind Caramels. These are a few on the long, long list I'm waiting to try. It would go so much faster if other people made them and I just ate them.

Even Though You Didn't Ask for It...Another Ice Cream Post!

I know I just posted an ice cream recipe. A green tea with lemongrass and mint ice cream, to be exact. Well, I’m doing it again. This time it’s Thai tea with coconut milk. I know, two similar recipes in two weeks. Is that a food blog faux pas? If it is, ya’ll better get used to it. I got me an ice cream maker, and there’s no stopping mama now!

As I was farting around the Internet looking for some ice cream inspiration, I came across this Thai tea ice cream. I would have gotten around to making some kind of Thai tea ice cream eventually, being Thai and all, but after running across it, I got a craving. Eventually became pronto. I was intrigued by the idea of using condensed milk, but I didn’t have any on hand. Instead of doing just straight cream, I used coconut milk. I used the guideline 2 egg yolks/cup dairy, and it worked out beautifully (thanks Mike!). What else can I say about this ice cream? Try it. You'll love it, and if you don't you're just plain crazy.



Thai Tea and Coconut Milk Ice Cream
makes about 2 pints

• 6 egg yolks
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 oz loose Thai tea leaves*(see note) or 5 tea bags

*Note: Loose Thai teas tend to be very fine. It will go right through a strainer, tea infuser or even 5 layers of cheesecloth. I highly recommend using fillable teabags or a tea sock. I prefer the fillable teabags over the tea sock. No cleaning. The teabag can go right into the compost.

In a medium saucepan, heat the cream to just boiling. Add the teabags and allow to steep, covered, for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, in a large bowl, whip the egg yolks with an electric mixer until thick and pale, about 5 minutes. Add the sugar in increments, beating well after each addition for a total of about 3 minutes.

Remove the teabags from the cream, making sure to squeeze out excess liquid. Slowly add the liquid to the egg mixture while mixing with the electric mixer. Return the custard to the pot, and heat over medium-low heat, with frequent stirring, until it reaches about 175°F or until it coats the back of your spoon without running off. Strain the custard into a large bowl. Don’t push the debris through the strainer, unless you like soft scrambled eggs in your ice cream. At last, add the coconut milk and vanilla and mix well. Chill the custard, covered, until it’s cold, preferably overnight. Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

If you like tea infused creamy concoctions, then this Thai tea creme brulee may pique your interest.

Ode to the Coconut: Vanilla Coconut Custard

I have something to admit, but I know if I admit it, people will think I'm strange: when it comes to chocolate, I could take it or leave it (except chocolate cake, and even that has to be a specific chocolate cake). Don’t misunderstand; I don’t hate chocolate. Not at all. But if you gave me a choice of something chocolate (even chocolate cake) or any Thai candy or dessert, I’d pick the Thai stuff every time.

I know, I know. I'm strange, right?

If you need to blame someone for my apathy towards chocolate, I would point the finger at my mom. She didn’t allow us to eat chocolate (or other sweets) very often. She never baked, so we didn’t get brownies or chocolate cake (unless it was our birthday). The only form of chocolate we got with any regularity was Ovaltine. So please don’t blame me, the victim.

Instead of chocolate sweets, I’m a big fan of sweets that contain coconut (milk, flakes, rum). Just about everyone who enjoys Thai food has tried sticky rice with mango in coconut sauce and liked it. However, most people haven’t tried the dozens of other Thai desserts containing coconut because they usually don't serve them at restaurants here in the US. To find them you need to frequent a Thai-Viet market. Many of these markets sell stuff made by women in their home kitchens local producers.

These are the types of sweets I grew up on. They contain coconut, sugar, and tapioca flour in some combination. The red one is dusted with finely shredded coconut and filled with something that tastes like mochi. The green and yellow one is a layered candy that tastes like coconut and is sticky and gummy. It was my favorite. The cake-like one also tastes like coconut and has a texture like a brownie.

Making my childhood sweets may be a little ambitious for me right now, but there are still dozens of desserts to be made using coconut. I’ve been wanting to try to make a coconut crème brulee-type dessert for a while. I tried once and it didn’t set. Then I thought I’d try using a regular crème brulee recipe and experimenting until I came up with something I liked. Luckily it took only one trial! Click here to see my inspiration recipe (FYI, you should download or print it now because they say it’s only going to be available for a limited time).

Coconut Crème Brulee
Serves 8

• 1 egg
• 5 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 ½ cups coconut milk (not lite)
• 1 ½ cups heavy cream
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped (use the pod for something else)
• 1 tbs fresh lime juice
• ¼ tsp kosher salt

In a large bowl or a KitchenAid mixer with a paddle attachment, mix the egg, egg yolks and sugar until combined.

In a saucepan, heat the coconut milk, cream and vanilla just to the boiling point. If there are extra large flecks of vanilla or some of the pod bark, strain the mixture through a mesh sieve. Then add the cream mixture to the egg mix, stirring (or paddling) slowly but thoroughly. Don’t add the cream too fast, or you may get scrambled eggs. I don’t recommend using a whisk because bubbles will form and when you bake the custard, the top won’t be smooth. After you have added all the cream mixture, add the lime juice and salt.

Pour or ladle the mixture into ramekins or other oven-safe glass/ceramic bowl (volume capacity about 1/3 to ½ cup). Bake the ramekins in a water bath in a 300° oven for 35 to 45 minutes. You’ll know the custard is done if you give the pan a little shake and the centers of the custards are set. ( Getting a sense for what “set” means takes a lot of practice. Since I don’t dabble in the sweet kitchen very often, it took me a long time to learn. Basically if the custard is somewhat giggly but not liquid, it’s set.) Take out of the oven and cool to room temperature before chilling in the fridge. I recommend chilling overnight, covered with plastic wrap.

To get a smooth top when you bake, don't use a whisk to mix the cream mixture with the eggs. If only I knew then...

Fill the pan with boiling water to about half way up the cups.

These custards should be served chilled. No need to embellish but sprinkling with a little toasted coconut or serving crème brulee-style, with burnt sugar on top, gives it a finished look. If you want to go the creme brulee route, I recommend putting the ramekins in the freezer for about 15 to 30 minute before torching. This will keep the custard chilled after you torch the top.

For creme brulee, I always use washed raw sugar, also known as turbinado sugar. I'm sure regular ol' granulated sugar works just fine.

If you go the creme brulee route, you'll get the best results with a kitchen torch. I used my broiler but I took it out a little early so as not to warm the custard too much. The custard should be chilled while the top barely warm and crackly.

Edited to add: I'm going to submit this to Sugar High Friday being hosted by Kochtopf. Why not?

Clean-Out-the-Freezer-Challenge Day 6

Today’s freezer item was 1 pound of pork sirloin that I froze back in June. Yes, I know I’m pushing it using meat that has been frozen for 6 months, but if you package it correctly there’s no reason it can’t last that long.

There are two very important things to keep in mind when storing meat in the freezer. The first is to wrap it in usable portions in plastic wrap, making sure to push out all the air. Then it should have a secondary covering such as a Ziploc freezer bag. Make sure to push all the air out of that too. This will prevent freezer burn. The second important thing is to store the package as far away from the door as possible. You don’t want extreme temperature fluctuations to affect the meat, otherwise damaging ice crystals could form. "Damaged" meat will be dry when cooked.

I used one half of the pork to make a saucy pork and kale stir-fry seasoned with fermented yellow beans for Sonny. Normally this type of stir-fry would be eaten atop rice noodles, but steamed rice does just as good a job at soaking up the sauce.


The other half of the pork went to red curry, which is Hubby’s favorite Thai dish. I’ve been a little hesitant to post about red curry because the way I like it is usually not the way it’s served in restaurants. The red curry I grew up eating was not thick and sweet. Of course it does have a hint of sweetness from the coconut milk, but sweetness should not be the predominant flavor. As for the thickness, I think many Thai restaurants serve their curries thick because most Americans would probably be turned off if they saw a layer of oil topping their curry. But that’s the way it looks when it’s properly prepared (and just because you don’t see the oil on top doesn’t mean it’s not there). Of course you could just skim off the oil. As you can see, I didn’t bother. I figured I can eat very healthy for the next 5 days to make up for one not so healthy meal. Everything in moderation, right?

Coconut cream: the key to a delicious red curry.

Thai Red Curry with Pork and Bamboo Shoots
feeds 4 adults

• 19oz can coconut milk (not lite), cream separated from milk
• 1 to 2 tbs red curry paste, depending on desired heat
• 1 to 2 tbs brown sugar, depending on taste
• 1 ½ cups chicken broth (water is fine)
• 6 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 to 2 quarter-sized slices fresh galangal (or 1 to 2 pieces of dried galangal)
• fish sauce to taste (about 1 to 2 tbs)
• 8oz can bamboo shoots, rinsed well
• 8oz pork sirloin (chicken, tofu or beef is fine too), sliced

In a heavy bottom pot on medium-low heat, add the coconut cream. It will sputter and pop, so be careful. Stir it occasionally and watch that it doesn’t burn. Turn down the heat if necessary. Cook until the oil separates out and it thickens. This could take about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the curry paste and mix it well to dissolve it in the coconut cream. Cook it with the cream for 2 to 3 minutes. The oil will continue to separate out and the mixture will be quite fragrant. Add the coconut milk, sugar , broth or water, lime leaves, galangal and bamboo shoots. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and season to taste using fish sauce, if needed. This would be a good time to skim the oil, if you care to. Once you get the flavorings to your liking, add the meat. Avoid stirring. Just make sure the meat pieces are separated and can simmer in the liquid. It’s done when the meat is just cooked through. Turn off the heat and allow it to sit for about 10 minutes before serving with steamed jasmine rice.

See how the oil separates out? That's what you want.

Dried galangal can be found at any Thai-Viet grocer.

Before adding the meat or veggies skim the oil, if you like.

Enjoy with a bowl of jasmine rice!