BANANA, CHOCOLATE, OR COCONUT CREAM PIE

2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups milk
4 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp vanilla
2 large ripe bananas
1 (9-inch) baked pie shell
1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped

Stir sugar, cornstarch, and salt in heavy saucepan.

Blend milk and egg yolks, gradually stir into sugar mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute.

Remove from heat; blend in butter and vanilla. Press plastic wrap onto filling in saucepan and cool to lukewarm.

Peel and slice bananas; arrange in bottom of pie shell. Pour in cooled filling. Chill thoroughly, at least 4 hours.

Pipe whipped cream around edge of pie; add banana slices if desired.

VARIATIONS:

CHOCOLATE CREAM PIE:
Omit bananas. Follow recipe except increase sugar to 1 1/4 cups. Stir in 2 oz melted unsweetened chocolate with butter and vanilla. As soon as filling is cooked, immediately pour into baked pie shell. Chill thoroughly (4 hours +). Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate curls.

COCONUT CREAM PIE:
Omit bananas. Follow recipe except stir 3/4 cup flaked coconut into filling with butter and vanilla. Pour immediately into 9-inch baked crumb crust. Chill thoroughly (4 hours +). Garnish with whipped cream and toasted coconut.

Source: Newspaper Clipping