Khanom krok is made with two separate batters, a thinner one that forms the crispy outer shell and a thicker one that forms the inner coconut custard. In Thailand, it’s apparently common to use limestone paste to achieve the desired level of crispiness in the outer layer. I started with this, trying to be as authentic as possible, but just couldn’t get it to taste right. Then I tried baking soda and finally ended up using club soda, which worked like a charm.
The other secret to making these desserts has to do with the pan itself. It’s crucial that you start with a well-seasoned khanom krok pan and heat a drop of oil in each well before adding your batter. Once you add the outer batter to each well, you lift the pan off the stove and swirl it so that the batter coats the entire well as shown here. Then you add the inner batter to fill the well.
