Palitaw

In a bowl, pour water over sweet rice flour in 1/4 cup increments, all the while mixing both ingredients into a soft, yet, pliable dough. Using a wide spoon, portion dough into 12 and shape each into flat, oval disks. Meanwhile, in a deep, wide pot, bring about 5 inches of water into a rolling boil. Gently and individually drop disks into the boiling water. Do not overcrowd pot. When disks float to surface, remove from water. Drain well. Place on a parchment-lined platter in a single layer. Cover and allow to cool enough to handle. Roll cooked palitaw on a bed of grated coconut to fully coat. In a pan, toast sesame seeds over low heat until fragrant, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and in a small bowl, combine with sugar. Dust sugar mixture over coated cakes or serve alongside. Tip: I used 2 cups of water to make my palitaw and the consistency of my dough proved a tad difficult to form into shape. The resulting cakes, however, came out “makunat” (chewy) which is just how I like my palitaw. I managed my shaping task by very lightly coating my hands with olive oil to prevent the dough from sticking.