Today is my favorite day of the year… Pi(e) Day! A few weeks ago, I had a pandan latte at a Vietnamese coffee shop. It was heavenly. Pandan is a leaf used commonly in Southeast Asian cuisine, and the best way I can describe its flavor is like an herbaceous vanilla. One of my friends I think aptly mused that pandan is to vanilla what lemongrass is to lemon. Anyway, that pandan latte inspired me to make a pandan pie for my annual Pi(e) Day Party, which we did as a Cookbook Club event this year. For three weeks I was on the hunt for pandan leaves. I visited and called five different Asian markets before finally finding them. But it was worth the effort! I blended the pandan leaves with water, then strained and squeezed out the fibers to get pandan juice for making my Pandan Pie. My Filipino friend tried it and swears every Filipino person in LA would buy one if I started selling them.
Guessipe
- 1 pie crust (9-inch)
- 2 TBSP butter
- 2 TBSP flour
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 can coconut milk
- 2/3 cup pandan juice
- 6 drops green gel food coloring (optional)
- 4 egg yolks, beaten
topping
- 1 cup whipped cream
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp pandan essence
Bake the pie crust according to package instructions.
Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook until light brown.
Whisk in the sweetened condensed milk, coconut milk, pandan juice, and food coloring (if using). Continue to cook until the mixture bubbles and thickens.
Remove from heat. Whisk in the egg yolks.
Pour the filling into the baked pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
To make the topping – in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and pandan essence until stiff peaks form. Decorate the pie with the whipped cream just before serving.
