Maya Angelou's Man-winning Banana Pudding/banana Pie W. Meringue

Total Time: 5 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 5 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1 pinch salt
• 3 cups milk
• 8 eggs, separated
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 3 cups vanilla wafers
• 4 ripe bananas, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350°.
• 2 in a large saucepan, combine 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch and salt; stir until blended.
• 3 mix in milk.
• 4 cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened and boiling; boil 1 minute and remove from heat.
• 5 in a small bowl, whisk egg yolks. then whisk in about 1/2 cup of the hot custard until blended. pour yolk mixture back into the saucepan of custard; cook over medium heat, stirring, for 2 minutes.
• 6 stir in butter and vanilla until blended.
• 7 place vanilla wafers [these could be crushed in a large bag with a rolling pin] on the bottom of a shallow 2-quart casserole dish.
• 8 top with layers of banana slices and custard.
• 9 repeat layering, ending with custard.
• 10 in a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites that are at room temperature with 1/4 cup sugar at low speed until frothy. add cream of tartar; increase speed to medium and gradually beat in remaining sugar. beat until egg whites hold stiff peaks.
• 11 spoon meringue over hot custard immediately, making sure the meringue touches the baking dish on all sides (this prevents shrinking).
• 12 transfer to oven and bake until golden, about 20 minutes.
• 13 remove pudding from oven and cool 1 hour.
• 14 refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.