People talk about “comfort food”, well this is one of the best!  This banana pudding is sweet and satisfying.  Your family will love it!

For Pudding:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup self-rising flour
pinch of salt
3/cups whole milk
3 eggs
3 T. Butter
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 Bananas
2 cups Vanilla Wafer cookies

For Meringue:
3 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar

Directions:
In a sauce pan combine sugar, flour and salt.  Gradually stir in milk.  Cook and stir mixture until thick and bubbly over medium high heat.  Once mixture is bubbly, reduce heat to medium and cook while stirring constantly for 2 more minutes.  Remove from heat.
Separate eggs putting yolks in one container and whites in another.  Put egg whites in refrigerator for meringue.  Beat egg yolks slightly.  Gradually stir 1 cup of the hot pudding into the egg yolks.  Return egg mixtue to pudding while stirring.  Return pudding mixture to heat and bring to a gentle boil. Lower heat to med and cook one more time for  2 minutes longer.  Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.  Strain pudding through a sieve just to be sure there are no lumps.  Pour pudding into an oven safe baking dish.  Add sliced bananas and vanilla cookies. (You can slightly crumble cookies if desired)  Stir to combine.   Set aside.
To make Meringue, place egg whites in a mixing bowl.  Add 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar and beat at highest speed with electric mixer.  When mixture becomes foamy slowly start adding the 1/2 cup sugar and continue beating until egg whites form stiff peaks. Do no over beat.
Spread egg whites over pudding, making sure to seal along edge of baking dish.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until meringue is golden brown. Cool for 20 minutes on wire rack and transfer to refrigerator.  Serve cold.

~Gina O’Kelley