Homemade banana pudding!!!!

When I am having a bad day, nothing makes it better than a nice warm bowl of homemade banana pudding! I discovered this recipe online about 7 years ago. I don't make it often enough because Blaine hates bananas, and honestly it is tedious work. But when you put that first spoonful into your mouth, it's all worth it!

Now, each person can have their own way of doing it. The lady I got it from did it differently than I do. You just have to figure out what system works best for you.

Homemade Banana Pudding*
*Makes an 8x8 or 9x9 so if you have a lot to feed, double it and make it in a cake pan :)

Ingredients for Pudding:

1 box of Nilla Wafers

4 Egg Yolks

½ cup flour

1 cup of sugar

½ tsp. salt

2 cup of milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 TBS butter

Here is what I do first. In a small bowl, mix flour, sugar, and salt together. Mix it well. Set aside. Take a sauce pan and a large bowl and separate your eggs. If you don't know what this means, you crack the egg carefully, keeping the top shell, and drain the egg white into the bowl. Gently pour the yolk from shell to shell until the majority of the white is in the bowl. Put the yolk into the sauce pan. You do this for all 4 eggs.
Set whites aside. (This will be your meringue.)

Next I slice my bananas. The first lady said 4 to 5 RIPE (meaning it's best if they have the brown freckles on them) I use maybe 3? It is up to you. How ever many you like. I layer my pan with the wafers. Again it all depends on how you like them, then I top with a layer of bananas. You should still have plenty of bananas left over for the second layer.

Next, using a whisk, I beat my egg yolks, add my milk and vanilla, then the flour mixture I prepared earlier. Bring to low boil all while stirring constantly. Careful not to leave it, because it will thicken fast once heated. You will need the butter beside you while stirring. Once it starts to boil, add the butter. Keep stirring until it's thick as pudding. Remove from heat.

Now, pour over the layer of bananas and wafers, and repeat the layer. Set aside. This is when I pre-heat my oven to 350.

Now for the Meringue.

You will need

4 Egg Whites

5 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar

½ tsp Vanilla

Mix Egg whites on high speed. Once they start to fluff, add cream of tartar, and sugar one tsp at a time. Mix for about a year. (LOL) No really just mix until stiff. To test, take the beater and stick it down and pull up. If the whites "peak" or stick up, well it's ready! Then take a spoon and gently "fold in" the vanilla.

Completely cover pudding, and bake until meringue browns. Ready to eat. Can be refrigerated and reheated, but warning, the bananas are not pretty the next day lol. BUT they still taste great!!! Enjoy!