Mom's Banana Cream Pie

Step 1: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pie shell should already be baked using a crust guard and cooled.

Step 2: Pie:

Step 3: In heavy saucepan, whisk together sugar, salt and cornstarch. Add milk and corn syrup, cooking on medium heat til thick.

Step 4: Temper egg yolks by stirring a spoonful of hot milk, repeating until yolks are warm enough to add to hot milk.

Step 5: Whisk tempered yolks into saucepan and cook 3 minutes, whisking constantly. Remove from heat, add butter and vanilla, spread banana slices on top.

Step 6: Meringue:

Step 7: If you have a kitchenaid mixer, use wire beater. Beat egg whites, water and baking powder til stiff peaks form. Test with a fork, if fork stands up, egg whites are stiff enough.

Step 8: Pour sugar in a slow stream with mixer on lowest setting, then whip again til stiff.

Step 9: Spread onto pie, making sure crust is completely covered and sealed at pastry edge to prevent weeping. Be careful not to pile on so much that your pie keeper won't close. You can always bake the extra meringue in a ramekin along with the pie.

Step 10: Bake pie 5-7 minutes, or until meringue turns golden. Cool completely on wire rack.

Step 11: Note to family: this is my meringue recipe. Mom's called for adding 1/3 cup sugar to egg whites, no water or baking powder.