Basic Cream Pie and Variations

Ingredients

Basic cream pie

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 cups milk
• 3 beaten egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Dash of salt
• 9-inch baked pie shell

Meringue

• 3 stiff-beaten egg whites
• 6 tablespoons sugar

Variations

• Pineapple-cream pie: fold one 9-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained, into the filling just before pouring it into the pie shell.
• Cocoa-cream pie: mix 3 tablespoons cocoa with the dry ingredients and proceed as in the basic recipe.
• Banana-cream pie: slice 2 large bananas into the baked pie shell, add the filling and proceed as in the basic recipe.
• Butterscotch pie: use 1 cup brown sugar instead of the granulated sugar and increase the butter to 1/4 cup.
• Coconut pie: add 1/2 cup cut, shredded coconut just before adding the filling to the pie shell.

Steps

1. Combine the 2/3 cup sugar and the cornstarch. Add the milk gradually and stir until smooth.
2. Cook, stirring, until thickened.
3. Add a small amount of the hot mixture to the egg yolks and blend well, then return it to the hot mixture. Cook until thickened, stirring, over medium heat.
4. Remove from the heat and blend in the vanilla, butter and salt. Cool 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Pour into the baked pie shell. Top with meringue made by beating the egg whites with the 6 tablespoons sugar.
6. Brown the meringue at 375° (moderate) for 10 to 15 minutes; cool.

Notes

Newspaper clipping pasted on Rosie Lee’s “Pie” index card. A small piece of the clipping is torn away in the directions (“…butter, and salt” and “…baked pie shell”); the missing letters are obvious from the rest.

Photo: stock photo found online.

Rosie Lee’s original recipe card

Tap the card to see it full size.