(Coconut cream pie is Keith’s favorite as an adult.)
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/3 tsp. salt
2 cups milk, scalded
3 egg yolks – reserve whites
2 T. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 baked pie shell
Meringue
3 egg whites
4 tsp. sugar
Few drops of vanilla
Blend sugar, cornstarch and salt. Slowly stir in hot milk. Cook and stir over boiling water until mixture thickens. Add 1/3 of mixture to well beaten egg yolks, then stir egg yolks into custard. Stir and cook two minutes. Remove from stove. Cool. Add butter and vanilla. Pour into baked shell. Cover with meringue, return to 350-degree oven and lightly brown.
Coconut Cream Pie: Add ½ cup coconut or more to custard before cooling mixture. Sprinkle coconut on meringue then lightly brown.
Chocolate Cream Pie: Add ½ cup cocoa to hot milk, and then use one T. less cornstarch.
Banana Cream Pie: Add sliced bananas to custard. If desired, can layer bananas with custard.