Banana Cream Pie

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup all purpose flour or

3 Tbs cornstarch (I use the cornstarch)

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups milk

3 egg yolks, slightly beaten

2 Tbs butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 9-inch baked pastry shell

(meringue made from the leftover egg whites, optional)

Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan. Add milk gradually.

Cook, stiring constantly, over medium heat til bubbly. Cook and stir an

additional 2 minutes and remove from burner.

Stir small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks, immediately add egg yolk

mixture to hot mixture and cook for 2 minutes, stiring constantly. Remove

from heat.

Add butter and vanilla and stir til smooth.

Slice 3-4 bananas into the cooled baked pastry shell. Top with pudding

mixture and spread meringue (if desired) on top of the pie. Bake at

350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Cool.

(Instead of meringue, I sometimes top with fresh whipped cream.)