Grandma Rene's Old-fashioned Banana Pudding

Total Time: 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 cups whole milk
• 3 large egg yolks (save the whites)
• 1 large whole egg
• 1 teaspoon lemon oil (optional)
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest (fresh- also optional)
• 6 -7 bananas (a bunch)
• 15 ounces vanilla wafers (1 box)
• 3 egg whites (room temperature)
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Recipe

• 1 in a saucepan or double-boiler, mix the sugar, flour, salt, milk, egg yolks and whole egg. cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly to bring up to a good temperature. slowly increase heat until mixture thickens and bubbles and becomes thick. it will coat the back of a wooden spoon and when you draw your finger down the middle of the back of the spoon, the separation remains.
• 2 remove from heat and add vanilla and lemon oil or zest if using.
• 3 slice bananas 1/4" to 1/2" thick, whatever your preference.
• 4 use a 2 quart souffle dish or 10-inch pie plate. layer vanilla wafers on bottom. top with some bananas, followed by the custard. repeat until all the custard is used. finish with custard and wafers pressed down into it.
• 5 preheat oven to 350.
• 6 meringue:.
• 7 take room temperature egg whites and add cream of tartar and pinch of salt. beat til foamy. as volume increases, slowly add sugar. whip til glossy but not dry. stop mixer and add vanilla. whip til incorporated and meringue stands in stiff peaks but it not dry. meringue should still have a nice sheen to it.
• 8 dump meringue on top of prepared banana pudding mixture and spread out to the edges and seal to the edge using a spatula. sealing is important as the meringue will shrink from the edges if you don't.
• 9 bake in a 350 oven for 8-10 minutes, til golden brown. if you've tall peaks, watch closely for browning of the tips. they can brown really fast.
• 10 remove from oven and cool on countertop. serve warm or put in refrigerator when completely cool to keep meringue from sweating.