Excerpted from 50 Pies, 50 States by Stacey Mei Yan Fong. Copyright © 2023 by Stacey Mei Yan Fong. Photographs by Alanna Hale. Used with permission of Voracious, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company. New York, NY. All rights reserved.

Pandan Cream Pie with Toasted Coconut, Mango, and Coconut Whipped Cream

ACTIVE TIME: 30 MINUTES — BAKE TIME: 15 TO 30 MINUTES — TOTAL TIME: 5 HOURS — MAKES ONE 10-INCH PIE

CRUST

Cream Cracker Crust (page 337, using Khong Guan biscuits, or McVitie’s digestive biscuits if you can’t find them), blind baked as directed

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

Stand mixer with whisk attachment or hand mixer

PRO TIP: If your coconut milk didn’t harden and separate in the fridge, you might have gotten a dud can or one that doesn’t have the right fat content. You can salvage this by adding 1 to 4 tablespoons cornstarch during the whipping process.

MAKE THE FILLING: In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks just until they come together. Set aside. Over medium heat, melt the butter in a saucepan and add the cornstarch. Cook, whisking, until it is a light golden color. Pour in the condensed milk, coconut milk, pandan extract, and food coloring (if using). Stir constantly over medium heat until thick and bubbly, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the egg yolks until well combined.

ASSEMBLE AND BAKE THE PIE: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pour the warm filling into the fully baked pie crust and place the pie on a baking sheet. Bake the pie on the center rack for 15 to 30 minutes. Give the pie a jiggle to test for doneness: The filling should have a slight jiggle to it; look for the texture of a soft thigh. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours in the fridge.

MAKE THE TOPPINGS

Toasted Coconut

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, cook the coconut flakes, stirring frequently, until mostly golden brown. This should take 5 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Coconut Whipped Cream

Place a stand mixer bowl or a large mixing bowl in the refrigerator to chill for 10 minutes before whipping. This will help the cream whip faster.

Remove the coconut cream from the fridge without tipping or shaking the can. Open the can and scrape out the thickened cream from the top, leaving the liquid behind.

Place the hardened coconut cream in the chilled mixing bowl; beat with the whisk attachment for 30 seconds, until it becomes thick and soft peaks start to form. Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla and continue to mix until the mixture thickens and has the same texture as whipped cream, about 1 additional minute. Avoid overwhipping the cream, which can cause separation.

FINISH THE PIE: Take the chilled pie from the fridge and top with the coconut whipped cream. Sprinkle toasted coconut and cubed mango all over the top. Slice and enjoy!

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Stacey Mei Yan Fong is a home baker living in Brooklyn, NY. She was born in Singapore, lived in Indonesia, grew up in Hong Kong, and moved to the States to pursue a degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design. She spent a decade designing in the fashion industry, and during that time she launched her “50 Pies 50 States” project which led to her slinging pies at Four and Twenty Blackbirds Pie Shop. Now, her pies have been featured by CBS Sunday Morning, NPR, Eater, and beyond. Her book, 50 Pies, 50 States: An Immigrant’s Love Letter to the United States Through Pie, is out now.