Banana, Coconut, Butterscotch, or Chocolate Cream Pie

1 baked pie shell
2/3 cup sugar (can substitute 1/3 cup sugar and 1/3 cup Splenda)
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 or 3 ripe bananas, sliced 1/8” thick

This recipe can be cooked in a double boiler, but it’s much easier to use a microwave. I adapted this recipe from Joy of Cooking.

In a plastic or glass bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, and salt.
Whisk in the milk.

Cook on HIGH in microwave for 2 minutes. Whisk until smooth.
Cook on HIGH in microwave for 2 more minutes. Whisk until smooth. Mixture will be thickening.
Cook on HIGH in microwave for 1 ½ to 2 more minutes. Whisk until thick and creamy.

Beat egg yolks in a small bowl with a fork (save the egg whites for making meringue or an omelet). Pour a small amount of hot cream mixture into egg yolks and stir quickly to temper the eggs. Gradually add about 2/3 cup of the hot cream mixture to the eggs, stirring quickly.

Once the eggs are tempered, add them into the bowl with the hot cream mixture and whisk.
Cook on HIGH in microwave for 1 minute. Whisk until smooth. Depending on the power of your microwave, you may need to cook on HIGH for 30 to 60 seconds more. The mixture needs to be fairly thick because you will add butter later which will thin the cream a bit.

When thickened, add butter and vanilla. Whisk. The filling is now done.

For a banana cream pie, pour a small amount of cream in bottom of baked pie shell and spread with an offset spatula to form a thin layer of cream. Top with one layer of banana slices. Whisk the cream again and then carefully top with half the remaining cream filling and smooth out. Top with final layer of banana slices. Whisk the cream filling again and carefully top with remaining half of cream filling and smooth out.

If topping with whipped cream or Cool Whip, let the pie cool slightly, then cover with plastic wrap and store in refrigerator. When you are ready to serve, top entire pie with whipped cream or Cool Whip.

If topping with meringue, use the three egg whites to make meringue using your favorite recipe, top the pie with meringue while cream pie filling is still warm, and brown in oven.

COCONUT CREAM PIE: Make filling as directed but stir ½ to 1 cup of coconut into filling, then pour into baked pie shell.

BUTTERSCOTCH CREAM PIE: When making filling, instead of using 2/3 cup of white sugar, substitute 1 cup of brown sugar and decrease the vanilla to ½ teaspoon.

CHOCOLATE CREAM PIE: When making filling, increase the white sugar to 1 cup. Cut up 2 ounces of unsweetened baking chocolate into little pieces and add it in with the milk. It will melt as the filling cooks. Stop the microwave to whisk the mixture every 60 seconds rather than waiting 2 minutes.