1/3 c. sifted enriched flour or 1/4 c. corn starch
2/3 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. milk, scalded
3 slightly beaten egg yolks
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 baked 9-inch pastry shell
3 stiff-beaten egg whites
6 tbsp. sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix flour, 2/3 cup sugar, and salt, gradually add milk, cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Cook 2 minutes, remove from heat, add small amount to egg yolks, stir into remaining hot mixture.

Cook 1 minute stirring constantly, add butter, vanilla. Cool slightly, pour into baked pastry shell, cool cover with meringue made of egg whites and 6 tablespoons sugar. Bake in moderate oven at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.

VARIATIONS OF CREAM PIES:

Banana - slice 3 bananas in shell, add filling.

Butterscotch - Substitute 1 cup brown sugar for 2/3 cups granulated sugar. Increase butter to 3 tablespoons.

Caramel - Caramelized 1/4 cup of the sugar gradually add scalded milk, mix well.

Chocolate - Increase sugar to 1 cup, melt 2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate in scalded milk. Or 3 1/2 tablespoons cocoa and 1/2 tablespoons butter equals 1 ounce or 1 square chocolate.

Coconut - Add 1 cup moist shredded coconut to filling. Sprinkle 1/2 cup coconut on top of meringue before browning.

Date - Add 1 cup pitted, chopped dates to cool filling.

Pineapple - Add 1/2 cup thoroughly drained crushed pineapple to cooled filling.