Instructions: In a heavy saucepan, very carefully brown 1/2 cup sugar. Then add milk (or half and half) and cook, stirring constantly, until sugar melts again.

Mix together the remaining 1 cup sugar and the flour; stir into this a few tablespoons of the milk and sugar mixture. Then stir this, the eggs, butter and flavoring into the milk and sugar mixture. Cook until thickened; pour into baked pie shell. Prepare meringue as instructed below, if desired. If you prefer the whipped cream, chill pie before spreading it on.

Meringue Topping:
Beat egg whites until frothy; add salt, cream of tartar and vanilla.

Continue beating, adding sugar gradually until stiff enough to hold peaks. Spread on pie filling, making sure meringue is sealed to crust.

Brown at 400 degrees 8 to 10 minutes.

Whipped Cream Topping:
In a small bowl, whip cream at high speed until thick. Mix in sugar and vanilla. Spread on chilled pie. Must be refrigerated.

*Pie shell may be bought or one of your favorite pastry recipes.

"My mother, Lucille Holloway, is now 85 years old and lives with my husband and me. She is a great cook, both from recipes and "just cooking." This is among the few of the "just cooking" dishes that Ive been able to make a recipe from. She made it before she ever married.

She still sometimes stirs up salmon patties or peach cobbler for us."

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