Homemade Southern Banana Pudding

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350F.
• Place unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let cool.
• Once cool, slice the bananas.
• Bump oven temperature up to 425F.
• In a large bowl combine 1/2 cup sugar, the flour, cornstarch and salt. Mix together.
• Take 3 of the eggs and separate the yolks from the whites. Set the white aside.
• Add the remaining whole egg to the egg yolks. Add the egg yolks to the sugar mixture and mix well.
• Stir in 1/2 cup milk.
• Heat 2½ cups of milk in a medium sauce pan, when the milk is warm whisk in the sugar and egg mixture.
• Cook on medium heat, uncovered until thick. This should take about 10 minutes. Mine normally doesn't thicken up until it reaches 9 minutes and 30 seconds. haha.
• Remove from heat and add in 1 teaspoon of vanilla.
• Add half of the vanilla wafers to the bottom of a 8x8 pan.
• Cover the wafers with half of the banana slices.
• Cover the banana slices with half of the pudding mixture.
• Add another layer of vanilla wafers followed by a layer of banana slices and then finish off with a layer of pudding.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the egg whites and a pinch of salt. Mix on medium-high for about 5 minutes or until stiff peaks form.
• Add in 1/4 cup sugar and mix on high until super stiff peaks form and the meringue does not fall out of the bowl when it is turned upside down.
• Spread the meringue over the top of the pudding.
• Place into a preheated oven and cook at 425F for about 6 minutes or until the meringue has browned to your liking!
• Serve hot or cold.