Vanilla Cream Pie

serves 8

NOTE: For this pie, warm (but not hot) filling is poured into a fully baked, cooled crust. The filled pie is then refrigerated until thoroughly chilled and topped with whipped cream.

Whipped Cream Topping

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt in medium saucepan. Add yolks, then immediately but gradually whisk in milk and evaporated milk. Drop in vanilla bean. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently at first, then constantly as mixture starts to thicken and begins to simmer, 8 to 10 minutes. Once mixture simmers, continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute longer. Remove pan from heat; whisk in butter and brandy. Remove vanilla bean, scrape out seeds, and whisk them back into filling.

2. Pour filling into shallow pan (another pie pan works well). Put plastic wrap directly on filling surface to prevent skin from forming; cool until warm, 20 to 30 minutes. Pour warm filling into pie shell and, once again, place sheet of plastic wrap directly on filling surface. Refrigerate pie until completely chilled, at least 3 hours.

3. For the whipped cream: Beat cream and sugar in electric mixer at medium speed to soft peaks; add vanilla. Continue to beat to barely stiff peaks. Spread over chilled filling and refrigerate pie until ready to serve.

VARIATIONS:

Chocolate Cream Pie

Follow recipe for Vanilla Cream Pie, adding 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa to cornstarch mixture and omitting vanilla bean. Stir in 4 ounces chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract with butter and brandy.

Coconut Cream Pie

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Scatter 1¹/₄ cups sweetened flaked coconut in 9-inch square pan. Bake, stirring occasionally, until evenly golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Follow recipe for Vanilla Cream Pie, stirring 1 cup of the coconut into filling once butter has melted. Continue with recipe, sprinkling remaining toasted coconut over whipped cream topping.

Banana Cream Pie

The safest and best place for the banana slices is sandwiched between two layers of filling. If sliced over the pie shell, the bananas tend to moisten the crust; if sliced over the filling top or mashed and folded into the filling, they turn brown faster.

Follow recipe for Vanilla Cream Pie, spooning half the warm filling into baked and cooled pie shell. Peel 2 medium bananas and slice them over filling. Top with remaining filling. Continue with recipe.

Butterscotch Cream Pie

Butterscotch pie begins by cooking brown sugar and butter together to produce a rich caramel flavor. Milk is then slowly whisked into the bubbling brown sugar mixture. Don't worry if the sugar lumps—it will dissolve as the milk heats—but make sure not to add the egg-cornstarch mixture until the sugar completely dissolves.

Whipped Cream Topping

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Dissolve cornstarch and salt in evaporated milk; whisk in egg yolks and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, heat butter and brown sugar in medium saucepan over medium heat until candy thermometer registers 220 degrees, about 5 minutes. Gradually whisk in whole milk. Once sugar dissolves, gradually whisk in cornstarch mixture. Continue cooking until mixture comes to boil; cook 1 minute longer. Turn off heat, then stir in vanilla. Pour filling into shallow pan (another pie pan works well). Put plastic wrap directly on filling surface to prevent skin from forming; cool until warm, 20 to 30 minutes. Pour filling into pie shell and, once again, place sheet of plastic wrap on filling surface. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 3 hours.

3. For the whipped cream: Beat cream and sugar in electric mixer at medium speed to soft peaks; add vanilla. Continue to beat to barely stiff peaks. Spread whipped cream over chilled filling and refrigerate pie until ready to serve.