Kanom Thong Muan

Kanom thong muan are crispy coconut rolls and are essentially little nutty wafers that are rolled. They are the Southeast Asian version of piroulines. Different variations can be found throughout Southeast Asia. You may even find them sold by street vendors. In Lao and Thai, they are called Thong muan, which literally translates to golden roll. Further south, in Malaysia they are called kuih kapit.

Whether we are willing to admit or not, the gathering and sharing season has already begun. These are perfect to share. I tested a couple versions with different flour ratios and made a ton. I’ve enjoyed them with coffee and tea almost everyday this week. They store well in an airtight container.

Notes:

Equipment – if you don’t have a traditional thong muan iron, you can use krumkake, pizzelle maker, panini griddle with flat grates or even a waffle cone maker like me. Remember that each are different and you will have to test which settings and cooking time works best for the equipment that you are using.
Bring on the heat – the first time I made these I used medium heat, which took longer and even after the wafers are cooled completely, the crispness is not quite like the thong muan that I remember. Then I got the idea to crank up the heat and boy that makes a difference! Use the high heat, it cuts the cooking time in half and the crispness and flavors come out.
Rolling – this will take practice. The trick that I found helps is using the tip of a knife to help tuck the edge of the wafer around the dowel on that initial roll. That tight first wrap sets the stage for the other rolls. However, if you don’t have time or patience for this, I’d fold it for quicker processing. I could see these placed in little bowls and shaped into waffle cone bowls. Serve some ice cream in them. If I had a pizzelle or krumkake maker with the pretty design, I may be inclined to serve them as flat wafers. Hello!

Kanom Thong Muan

Yields: 24-26
Time: 1.5 hours

1 ½ cup (170 g) tapioca starch
½ cup (60g) all-purpose flour
¾ cup (120g) coconut sugar / palm sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 can (400ml) coconut milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons sesame seeds (black or white)

• In a large bowl, add tapioca starch, flour, salt, and sugar. Whisk to combine.
• Add coconut milk and eggs. Whisk until the batter is smooth.
• Finally, stir in the sesame seeds.
• Using waffle cone maker, set it to high heat. Preheat until the preheat light is lit.
• Drop about two tablespoons of batter onto the center of the waffle cone maker. Close the lid. You can press on the waffle maker to get thinner thong muan, but be careful of the steam.
• Let it cook for 1:30-2 minutes until they are golden brown.
• Using a dowel or a wooden spoon with a long round handle, roll the cookie. A kitchen knife or offset spatula can be used to with this process.
• Transfer onto a cooling rack to cool completely. They will crisp up once they cool.
• Serve and enjoy!