2 1/2 c. milk
1/4 egg yolks
2/3 c. sugar
4 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. room temperature butter
1 baked 9 inch pie shell or graham crackers or chocolate wafer crust

Meringue or whipped topping whisk together the milk, cream and egg yolks. Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a heavy saucepan. Whisk in the yolk mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Then stir the mixture constantly until it comes to a boil, about 9 minutes more. Boil stirring for 1 minute. Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in vanilla and butter. Pour cooked filling into the baked pie shell and smooth top. Finish with meringue or whipped topping. Serves 8.

To make banana cream pie, slice 1 or 2 bananas and add to cooked filling before pouring into the pie shell.

For chocolate cream pie, increase sugar to 1 cup. Melt 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate in 250 degree oven and stir into the cooked filling with butter. Pour into the baked pie shell.