Desserts are not customary in Asia, though for any traveller, the green pandan essence- scented coconut crepes are the most memorable common-place sweetmeat the be served .

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup plain flour
• 1/4 cup rice flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tblsp castor or icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 tsp pandan essence

Filling

• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup palm sugar syrup (see below)
• 1 tsp pandan essence
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Sugar Syrup

• 150 grams palm sugar, grated
• 1/2 cup water

Method

1. Sift the flour, rice flour and salt into a bowl. Stir though the sugar and make a well in the centre.
2. Beat the coconut milk, egg, water and pandan essence together until well mixed. Using a wooden spoon, gradually add the liquid ingredients to the dry, stirring from the centre out. Beat well and strain. Allow to stand for 30 minutes.
3. Heat a non-stick frying pan and when very hot, pour in about ½ ladle full of pancake batter, swirling the pan to coat the base evenly with the batter. The pancake batter will not form bubbles, so once the top of the pancake begins to look dry, carefully lift the edges and flip. Cook the second side for about 30 minutes. Stack on a cake rack to cool.
4. Take walnut size pieces of the coconut filling and mould into a cylinder shape. Place at the edge of the pancake, in the centre and then roll up, flipping the sides of the pancake in to completely enclose the coconut filling. Serve warm, dusted with icing sugar.

Coconut Filling

1. Mix all the ingredients together.

Palm Sugar Syrup

1. Place the sugar and water into a saucepan and simmer together for 5 minutes, stirring ocassioanlly. Keep refrigerated and use as required.

Cooks Tips

Here in New Zealand we can buy the pandanus leaf frozen from good Asian food shops, though the easiest way to enjoy the sweet intense grassy flavour of the “Vanilla of the East” is to buy the readily available pandan essence. The green black colour and heady concentrated frangrance of the essence, is so intense, that only a modest amount is required.