Vietnamese Pandan Leaf Coconut Sweet Cakes (Bánh Dừa Nướng Lá Dứa)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the pandan extract: Wash the fresh pandan leaves thoroughly. Cut them into small pieces and place them in a blender with 100 ml of water. Blend until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the pulp.

   ~10 min
2. 2

   Prepare the pandan leaves for wrapping: Wash the remaining pandan leaves. Trim off the tough ends and cut them into approximately 6-inch lengths. You will use these to wrap the cakes. If the leaves are dry, you can briefly steam them for 2-3 minutes to make them more pliable.

   ~15 min
3. 3

   Make the cake batter: In a large bowl, combine the glutinous rice flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Gradually pour in the coconut milk and the pandan extract, stirring continuously until you have a smooth, thick batter with no lumps. Add the shredded unsweetened coconut and mix well.

   ~10 min
4. 4

   Assemble the cakes: Take two pandan leaf strips and form them into a small cup or cone shape, overlapping the edges. Secure them with a toothpick if needed, or by folding the ends neatly. Fill each leaf cup about two-thirds full with the batter.

   ~20 min
5. 5

   Steam the cakes: Arrange the filled pandan leaf parcels in a steamer basket, ensuring they do not touch each other. Place the steamer basket over a pot of boiling water. Cover and steam for 40-50 minutes, or until the cakes are firm and cooked through. Add more water to the pot if it runs low.

   ~50 min
6. 6

   Cool and serve: Carefully remove the steamed cakes from the steamer and let them cool completely on a wire rack. This allows the exterior to set and become slightly chewy.

   ~30 min
7. 7

   Serve the cakes at room temperature. They can be eaten directly from the pandan leaf wrapper.