Classic Flapper Pie

Preheat your oven to a high temperature of 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).

Combine the crushed graham crackers, half a cup of sugar, melted butter, and cinnamon in a bowl. Set aside one quarter of the mixture for topping the pie. Fill the bottom and sides of a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate with the remaining crumb mixture. Bake the crust in the preheated oven for 8 minutes.

Heat milk in a saucepan over high heat. In a non-plastic bowl, whisk together half a cup of sugar, cornstarch, egg yolks, and vanilla. When the milk is hot but not boiling, slowly pour it into the yolk mixture in a steady stream while whisking constantly. Return the custard to the saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or a heat-proof spatula. Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes over low heat until the custard thickens. Pour the custard into the graham cracker crust.

Preheat your oven's broiler and position the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source.

Whisk egg whites until they reach a medium peak; add 2 tablespoons of sugar and whisk until the meringue becomes stiff. Remove a portion of the meringue on top of the custard filling. Sprinkle the reserved graham cracker crumbs over the meringue.

Place the pie under the broiler and bake until the meringue starts to brown, 3 to 5 minutes.