Banana Pudding (MRS)

By hmp13

Ingredients

• 4 cups milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 teaspoons butter
• 1 (12 ounce) box vanilla wafers
• 3 to 4 firm bananas
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice mixed with 1 tablespoon water (optional)
• 1 recipe Mrs. Rowe’s Meringue

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Heat the milk in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, cornstarch, sugar, and enough water to make a soupy paste. Whisk the egg yolk mixture into the warm milk. Cook, stirring constantly, for 15 minutes, until thickened to the consistency of pudding. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and butter. Set aside to cool slightly.

Preheat the oven to 325. Cover the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with half of the vanilla wafers. Slice the bananas into ½ inch thick rounds and spread half of them over the wafers. (if slicing the bananas ahead of time, toss them with the lemon juice and water to prevent browning.) Cover the bananas with half of the b\pudding. Spread the remaining wafers over the pudding, followed by the remaining bananas. Pour the rest of the pudding over the top.

Spread the meringue over the pudding and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until browned. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Variation: substitute coarsely crumbled vanilla wafers for the meringue. This version does not need to be baked.