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, stirring constantly, over medium heat till 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, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Add butter and vanilla and stir till 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.