Real Banana Pudding

I did not have true banana pudding until I moved to the South.  I grew up with banana cream pie, which was often my requested birthday dessert, but have since grown to love banana pudding more.  This version of the recipe uses made from scratch pudding and meringue for the topping.  Of course, it is so much easier to use the packaged vanilla pudding mix (which I do most of the time), but if you have a little extra time on hand, try making it yourself. 

Ingredients

⅓ cup flour

Dash of salt

2 ½ cups milk

1 14 oz. can fat-free sweetened condensed milk

2 large egg yolks

2 t vanilla

3 bananas, sliced

Vanilla wafers (I like to use the minis)

4 large egg whites (at room temperature)

¼ cup sugar

Preheat oven to 325ºF.

Mix together flour and salt in a medium saucepan.  Slowly add both milks and egg yolks and stir well to combine.  Cook over medium heat about 8 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly.  (The pudding should coat the back of a wooden spoon.)  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Place vanilla wafers in single layer on bottom of 2 quart baking dish.  Place single layer of banana slices on top of wafers.  Spoon ⅓ of pudding over bananas.  Repeat layers twice.

Beat egg whites at high speed of a mixer until foamy.  Add sugar, one tablespoon at a time while beating, until stiff peaks form.  Spread meringue over pudding to edge of dish.  Bake for 25 minutes or until golden.  Let cool before serving.