DEDE’S BANANA PUDDING

What can I say? Once you have had this banana pudding you will never ever ever be able to settle for anything else again. All those recipes that people think are so wonderful that are made from a pudding mix and refrigerated before you eat them will all taste as fake as they really are. My mama’s banana pudding is beyond fabulous -- there are no words to describe it. If you love banana pudding you will be amazed – if you don’t really want to take the extra effort in baking, you better not try this – you will never be satisfied again with any other banana pudding. This is truly a recipe that made me become a food snob!

Pudding:
2-3 egg yolks, beaten
2 c. whole milk
1-1/2 c. sugar
5 TB flour*
Dash salt
1-1/2 t. vanilla
½ stick butter + more for greasing bowl
Vanilla wafers (or coconut macroons if you like coconut)
2-3 bananas

Meringue:
2-3 egg whites (3 is fluffier)
2 TB sugar per egg white
Dash cream of tartar

Take a stick of butter and rub it round the bottom and sides of a pyrex dish. I usually use a bowl-type so the cookies will lay in it easier. Line the bowl with whatever cookies you prefer.

In a heavy saucepan (or Dutch oven if you are doubling the recipe, which I always do) put in the sugar, flour and salt. Stir the beaten eggs into the milk and then slowly whisk the milk mixture into the flour mixture. Turn the heat on medium low to medium and continue slowly whisking until the pudding has begun bubbling. Let it come to a good boil until it is as thick as you want it. Take it off the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Slice bananas and cover the cookies with them. Pour half of the pudding over the bananas. Layer more cookies and bananas and pudding and top with more cookies and bananas.

For the meringue, beat the egg whites until fluffy; slowly add sugar and cream of tartar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Spread the meringue on top of the pudding and swirl with a spatula forming tips in the meringue. Bake at 350 degrees until the tips are brown, about 15 minutes. Cool. Refrigerate leftovers if there are any.

• Experiment with the amounts of flour until you get the thickness you want.  I don't usually "level" my TB but instead have them somewhat heaping.