Homemade Southern Banana Pudding

Serve is hot or cold, this Homemade Southern Banana Pudding is going to be loved by all! Roasting the banana gives it a richer banana flavor too!

Ingredients:

• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch, ( I use ARGO Cornstarch)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt plus a pinch of salt
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• About 50 vanilla wafer cookies
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 5 medium bananas, (peel them after you roast them before you slice them)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Place unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
3. Remove from oven and let cool.
4. Once cool, slice the bananas.
5. Bump oven temperature up to 425F.
6. In a large bowl combine 1/2 cup sugar, the flour, cornstarch and salt. Mix together.
7. Take 3 of the eggs and separate the yolks from the whites. Set the white aside.
8. Add the remaining whole egg to the egg yolks. Add the egg yolks to the sugar mixture and mix well.
9. Stir in 1/2 cup milk.
10. Heat 2½ cups of milk in a medium sauce pan, when the milk is warm whisk in the sugar and egg mixture.
11. 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.
12. Remove from heat and add in 1 teaspoon of vanilla.
13. Add half of the vanilla wafers to the bottom of a 8x8 pan.
14. Cover the wafers with half of the banana slices.
15. Cover the banana slices with half of the pudding mixture.
16. Add another layer of vanilla wafers followed by a layer of banana slices and then finish off with a layer of pudding.
17. 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.
18. 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.
19. Spread the meringue over the top of the pudding.
20. Place into a preheated oven and cook at 425F for about 6 minutes or until the meringue has browned to your liking!
21. Serve hot or cold.