Vanilla Cream Pie/Chocolate/Coconut/Banana Cream Pudding

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups milk
• 5 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions

1. 1

   Cooking on stovetop.

2. 2

   Bake pie shell. Stir together sugar, cornstarch and salt in saucepan. Blend milk and egg yolks; gradually stir into sugar mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat; blend in butter and vanilla. Immediately pour into baked pie shell; press plastic wrap onto filling. Chill pie thoroughly, at least 2 hours. If desired, serve pie with sweetened whipped cream.

3. 3

   Microwave.

4. 4

   Bake pie shell. Stir together sugar, cornstarch and salt in microwave glass mixing bowl. Blend milk and egg yolks; Whip with whisk well. Cook on high for 2 minutes at a time, take out and use wire whip to blend well and return to microwave for 2 more minutes. Continue this until mixture is of pudding consistency. Blend in butter and vanilla. Immediately pour into baked pie shell; press plastic wrap onto filling. Chill pie thoroughly, at least 2 hours. If desired, serve pie with sweetened whipped cream.

5. 5

   Variations:.

6. 6

   Chocolate Cream Pie:.

7. 7

   Follow recipe for 9-inch pie except-increase sugar to 1 1/2 cups and cornstarch to 1/3 cup. Omit butter and stir in 2 ounces melted unsweetened chocolate with the vanilla.

8. 8

   Coconut Cream Pie:.

9. 9

   Decrease Vanilla to 2 teaspoons and stir in 1°C flaked coconut. Sprinkle flaked coconut over whipped cream on pie.

10. 10

    Banana Pudding:.

11. 11

    Make Vanilla Cream. Cool for 15-20 minutes. While cooling, line bottom of pan with vanilla wafers and top with sliced bananas.

12. 12

    Cover with cooled pudding. Top with heavy cream (for every 8 oz of heavy cream add 4 t of sugar -- whip cream until stiff. Crush a few wafers and sprinkle on top.