Vanilla cream pie
8-inch pie, 6 servings
1 8-inch pastry shell (p. [64])
3 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
2 egg yolks, beaten
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar
Prepare, bake, and cool pastry shell.
Mix cornstarch, sugar, and salt in heavy saucepan. Gradually stir in milk.
Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Simmer 1 minute longer.
Stir a little of the hot mixture into egg yolks; then stir yolks into remaining hot mixture. Cook 1 minute longer, stirring constantly. Stir in fat and vanilla.
Set saucepan in cold water to cool. Stir frequently. Change water occasionally.
Pour filling into pastry shell. Chill thoroughly.
Before serving, whip cream until stiff and beat in confectioner’s sugar. Spread over pie.
Notes: Use only clean, sound-shelled eggs in this recipe.
Use whipped dessert topping instead of whipped cream, if desired.
Variations
Coconut cream pie.—Stir ½ to 1 cup shredded coconut, as desired, into the hot filling with fat and vanilla.
Banana cream pie.—Slice 2 bananas into pie shell before adding filling.
Chocolate cream pie.—Increase sugar to ¾ cup. Cut 1½ ounces bitter chocolate into cream filling after adding milk.