Banana Pudding

I like bananas. There, I said it. 

While I like bananas, the prospect of making real banana pudding seemed daunting...until I actually did it. There you have it, kids. Try stuff. It might work.

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon plus a pinch of salt
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 30 to 40 vanilla wafers...though I sure didn't count
• 3 to 4 medium ripe bananas

Directions

• Separate the yolks from the whites of 3 eggs - I just pour the yolk from one shell half to the other until all the whites have separated. Set aside the whites. Add the remaining whole egg to the yolks.

• In a saucepan, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar, the flour, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in the whole egg and 3 yolks, and then stir in the milk. Cook uncovered, stirring often, until the mixture thickens...should take about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
  
  
  
  
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Spread a thin layer of the pudding in a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish.Arrange a layer of vanilla wafers on top of the pudding. Thinly slice the bananas crosswise, about 1/8 inch thick, and arrange a layer of banana slices over the wafers. Spread one third of the remaining pudding over the bananas and continue layering wafers, bananas, and pudding, ending with pudding.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• To make the meringue: beat the reserved egg whites with a pinch of salt until they are stiff. Gradually beat in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating until the whites will not slide out of the mixing bowl when it is tilted.
  
• Spread the meringue over the pudding with a spatula, making some decorative peaks on top, and bake until the meringue is lightly browned, about 5 minutes.