Day 42: Recipe Exchange--Cream Pies

Every year for her birthday, Sarah Jane requests a coconut cream pie. I have tried many recipes over the years and have even cheated it with instant pudding before (gasp!)--but nothing can compare to a homemade coconut cream pie, using mom's famous recipe, of course.

I don't really love making pie and considered buying a frozen crust this week, but then it seemed heretical to ruin a homemade pie with store-bought crust. So as I rolled out the crust, I thought of what a labor of love it is to make a pie for someone and of how many pies our mother has made over the years.

I had a little bit of crust left over and remembered how mom would brush the scraps with milk and cinnamon sugar and bake them for us. I loved it when she did that. My kids loved it too.

Ruthie's Cream Pies

9" baked pie shell (THIS is the easiest recipe I've found, but the Lion House recipe is the best!)

2/3 c. sugar

1/4 c. cornstarch

1/2 tsp. salt

3 c. milk

4 egg yolks, slightly beaten

2 T. butter

1 T. vanilla

Stir together sugar, cornstarch and salt in heavy saucepan. Blend milk with egg yolks and gradually stir into sugar mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir one minute. Remove from heat; blend in butter and vanilla. Immediately pour into baked pie shell. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours. Serve with whipped cream.

Variations:

Coconut Cream: follow above recipe, but use only 2 tsp. vanilla and stir in 1/2 cup flaked coconut. Garnish top with 1/4 cup coconut. (To toast coconut, place it in a dry skillet over medium heat. Stir occasionally until desired toasting is achieved.)

Banana Cream: Follow above recipe. Line bottom of baked pie shell with sliced banana and garnish top with sliced banana just before serving.

Chocolate Cream: Follow above recipe. Increase sugar to 1 1/2 c. and cornstarch to 1/3 c. Omit butter and stir in 2 oz. melted unsweetened chocolate with the vanilla.