This was like "no fail" custard, I add fresh bananas to the custard ,then topped with fresh whipped cream and chocolate shavings ,and added fresh raspberry garnish. It won my family baking contest!

I loved this pie, as did my husband. Don't be intimidated by it- 8 tablespoons is really just half a cup, so 9 is half a cup plus 1 TBS. As for the double boiler method, I always use a makeshift with my biggest metal bowl over a pan that I fill about 1/3 full of hot water. It just sets in there so that your custard isn't directly over the heat. I did whisk it occasionally, but you don't have to stir constantly like you would if it was directly over heat. I did follow the suggestion to use coconut milk (and I just threw in the whole can, because what am I going to do with another half cup of coconut milk?) and some flaked coconut, and it was really delicious. The ice cream in the custard adds a nice effect, and once it was really chilled and set, my husband found it reminiscent of a coconut marshmallow (or maybe that's the gelatin that makes it marshmallow like). Anyway, the extra couple of minutes it takes to make this recipe are worth it, for sure.

Outstanding vanilla cream pie! Perfect texture, it was down right silky! I cheated and put it in a chocolate crust....OH MY GOODNESS!!! This would be incredible with anything on it, I think any fresh fruit, husband was going for carmel. I think I could eat the entire thing myself! HAHAHA I did not remember to put the remaining whipped cream on top. Need to mention the chocolate crust again -- it was incredible!!!!

I used this recipe as the base for a coconut cream pie. I used coconut milk instead of regular milk and folded in coconut. It was so much lighter than a traditional cream pie. Everyone loved it.