Old Fashioned Banana Pudding
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups milk (NOT skim)
- 4 or 5 ripe bananas, sliced thin (cover with plastic wrap or sprinkle with lemon juice to keep them from turning brown)
- 1 box vanilla wafers
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon Butter (not margarine)
- 4 Egg yolks (Large eggs or better)
Meringue:
- 5 egg whites, room temperature
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Line the bottom of a 9×9-inch pan with a layer of vanilla wafers.
- Combine sugar, flour and salt in a bowl, and mix well. Set aside.
- In a heavy saucepan, beat the egg yolks well.
- Over medium heat, add the flour mixture to the egg yolks, alternately with the milk and vanilla, stirring constantly.
- Bring to a gentle boil and, when the mixture begins to thicken, add the butter, continuing to stir.
- Keep boiling and stirring until mixture reaches a nice pudding consistency. Make sure you don’t scorch the pudding.
- Remove from heat.
- Place a layer of banana slices on top of the vanilla wafers.
- Pour half of the pudding over the banana layer.
- Put down another layer of vanilla wafers, another layer of banana slices, and cover with the remaining pudding.
- Beat the egg whites at high speed until they form soft peaks.
- Add the cream of tartar.
- At high speed, gradually add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Fold the vanilla into the meringue, and spread the meringue over the pudding, sealing it at the sides of the dish.
- Bake until meringue browns, 12 to 15 minutes.
