Grandma’s Southern Banana Pudding
1/2 stick butter or margarine
1 can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups whole or 2% milk
1/2-3/4 cup sugar
3-4 eggs, seperated
2 teaspoons vanilla
pinch of salt
1 1/2 boxes Nilla Wafers
4-5 very ripe bananas
Melt butter in a pot on stove over medium-low heat. Add evaporated milk and 1 cup regular milk. Cook until almost to a boil and turn off heat. Seperate eggs, reserving whites for later use. Add egg yolks to mixture, stirring after each yolk. After eggs are stirred in turn the burner back on to medium-low. Add 1/2 cup sugar and pinch of salt.
While the pudding mixture is cooking, line the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish with Nilla wafers, standing some up around the sides as well. Add a layer of sliced bananas. Add another layer of wafers and bananas, and a final layer of more wafers. While you are doing this keep stirring the pudding occasionally so the eggs don’t start to scramble.Turn off heat, and add 2 teaspoons of vanilla. Stir well, then taste. If it is too sweet, add another 1/2 cup of milk. If it isn’t sweet enough add another 1/4 cup sugar. If you think you just don’t have enough liquid to cover all your cookies and bananas, add both! This is a recipe that is easily altered and doesn’t have to be exact.
Pour mixture over cookies and bananas and put into preheated 350 degree oven. Bake about 10-15 minutes. While baking, put egg whites in a bowl and beat with a mixer slowly for a couple of seconds and then on high speed. Beat for a minute or so until the egg whites start to get foamy, then slowlya dd about 1/8 cup sugar. Continue beating until soft peaks form. Add a tiny drop of vanilla and beat a few seconds longer.
Remove dish from oven and spread meringue on top, all the way to the edges of dish. Return to oven about 5 minutes, until meringe is lightly browned. Great served warm or cold! If not used within 2 hours, refrigerate.
