Microwave Vanilla Cream Pie & Variations - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 baked 9 inch pie shell
1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
3 slightly beaten egg yolks
2 tablespoons butter (or maragaine)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Meringue
3 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
6 tablespoons sugar

Preparation

Mix together sugar, cornstarch, salt and 1/2 cup milk in a 1 1/2 qt.
casserole until smooth.
Stir in remaining milk.
Microwave on HIGH for 5 to 8 minutes or until thickened.
Stir occasionally the last half of cooking.
Beat a little of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks, then add the egg yolk mixture to the remaining hot mixture.
Microwave on HIGH for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until thickened.
Stir occasionally.
Blend in butter and vanilla.
Pour into the cooled baked pastry shell.
Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy.
Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.
Spread over filling.
Seal around edges.
Microwave on MEDIUM-HIGH for 3 to 4 minutes.
*Ifmicrowave has a browning element, brown as desired.
Variations:
BANANA CREAM PIE.
Follow Vanilla Cream Pie recipe as directed except slice 2 medium bananas in the bottom of the 9 inch baked pastry shell.
Pour vanilla cream pie filling over the bananas.
Top with meringue.
BUTTERSCOTCH CREAM PIE.
Follow Vanilla Cream Pie recipe as directed except substitute the granulated sugar with dark brown sugar and add 3 tablespoons butter instead of the 2 tablespoons butter.
COCOA CREAM PIE.
Follow Vanilla Cream Pie recipe as directed except add 1/3 cup cocoa in Step 1 and increase cornstarch to 1/4 cup.
(I use the larger amount of sugar for this one.) COCONUT CREAM PIE.
Follow Vanilla Cream pie recipe as directed except add 1 cup coconut to cream pie filling and sprinkle 1/3 cup toasted coconut over the meringue.
I bake my meringue in my gas oven just because I prefer it that way.