COCONUT CREAM PIE

Steps:

• 1. Be sure and look for my pastry and meringue on different recipe pages!
• 2. In saucepan, combine sugar, flour and salt. Gradually stir in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat till bubbly. Cook and stir two minutes. Remove from heat.
• 3. Stir small amount of hot mixture into yolks, stirring quickly. Immediately return to hot mixture and blend quickly. Cook two minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla.
• 4. Pour into COOLED pastry shell. Spread meringue immediately on top of hot pie mixture. Make it pretty... and bake at 350 for 12 to 15 minutes.
• 5. I've had trouble with my meringue shrinking for years. Recently, I've discovered if you've got a tabletop mixer, make your meringue while you are mixing up your cream mixture. If your cream pie mixture gets done before your meringue, keep it in the pan and set aside. Because IMMEDIATELY upon pouring your cream mixture into the pie shell, you'll need to spread the meringue on top and completely seal - making sure your meringue connects well with your pie crust. If you seal is good between your crust and your meringue, it won't shrink...I promise! :) Good Luck!
• 6. Variations for different kinds of pies: Chocolate Pie: Prepare basic cream pie, increasing sugar to 1 cup, 3 TBS chocolate powder and make the very same way. Banana Cream Pie: Slice three bananas into cooled pastry shell and top with basic cream mixture. Coconut Cream Pie: Add 1 cup flaked coconut into basic cream mixture. You'll also want to sprinkle 1/3 flaked coconut on top of the meringue before browning, just to make it pretty. Butterscotch Cream Pie: Substitute brown sugar for granulated sugar in basic cream recipe. Increase butter to THREE tablespoons.