Vanilla Cream Pie

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch or 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups milk
• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon margarine or butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• Baked Pastry Shell (see recipe, page 293)
• Four-Egg-White Meringue (see recipe, opposite)

Instructions

1. For filling, in a medium saucepan combine sugar and cornstarch or flour. Gradually stir in milk. Cook and stir over medium-high heat till mixture is thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.
2. Separate egg yolks from whites; set whites aside for meringue. Beat egg yolks lightly with a fork; gradually stir about 1 cup of the hot filling into yolks. Return all to saucepan; bring to a gentle boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Stir in margarine or butter and vanilla.
3. Pour the hot filling into Baked Pastry Shell. Spread meringue over hot filling; seal to edge. Bake in a 350° oven for 12 to 15 minutes or till golden. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill to store.
4. Coconut Cream Pie: Prepare as above, except stir in 1 cup flaked coconut with margarine or butter and vanilla. Sprinkle another 1/3 cup flaked coconut over meringue before baking.
5. Banana Cream Pie: Prepare as above, except, before adding filling, spread 3 medium bananas, sliced (about 2 1/4 cups), into the bottom of the Baked Pastry Shell.
6. Dark-Chocolate Cream Pie: Prepare as above, except increase the sugar to 1 cup. Stir in 3 squares (3 ounces) unsweetened chocolate, chopped, with the milk.
7. Milk-Chocolate Cream Pie: Prepare as above, except stir in 3 squares (3 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate, chopped, with the milk.
8. Sour Cream and Raisin Cream Pie: Prepare as above, except increase cornstarch to 1/3 cup (or increase flour to 5/6 cup). Fold in 1 cup raisins and 1/2 cup dairy sour cream with the margarine or butter and vanilla.