Banana Cream Pie

9-inch Baked Pie Shell
2/3 cup sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
½ tsp. salt
3 cups milk
4 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 Tbsp. vanilla
2 large bananas or 3 medium
1 cup sweetened whipped cream or Meringue

Meringue:
4 egg white
½ tsp. cream of tartar
6 Tbsp. sugar
½ tsp. vanilla

Bake pie shell. Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in saucepan. Gradually stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir at least half of the hot mixture gradually into egg yolks. Stir into hot mixture in saucepan. Boil and stir 1 minutes; remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Press plastic wrap onto filling in saucepan: refrigerate until room temperature. Slice bananas into pie shell; pour filling over bananas. Refrigerate until serving time. Top pie with whipped cream and garnish with banana slices. Refrigerate any remaining pie immediately. 8 servings.

Meringue: To prepare meringue, beat egg whites until frothy. Add cream of tartar. Beat until soft peaks are formed. Beat in sugar a little at a time until very stiff and glossy. Do not underbeat. Beat in ½ vanilla. Spread the meringue over hot filling; seal to edge. Bake in 350ºF oven for 12 to 15 minutes or till meringue is golden. Cool. Cover; chill to store.