Banana Pudding

I have been on a sweets kick lately, and on this hot day I felt like having a cool southern dessert. So I made this banana pudding, liberally adapted from a few different recipes. It is good! I did not add the whipped cream this time but I think it will make the finished result even better. Also: a few maraschino cherries on top.

BANANA PUDDING

Ingredients

• 6 Tbsp. sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 cups milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 3 large bananas, sliced, one handful reserved
• 1/2 (12-ounce box) vanilla wafers, one handful reserved
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 Tbsp sugar 

Directions:

1) Mix together sugar and cornstarch in a large heavy-bottomed pan on the stove and slowly whisk in milk. 

2) Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 10 or 15 minutes--do not leave it unattended. The cornstarch needs to reach boiling to thicken, but then the mixture can bubble up quite a bit, so you may need to adjust the heat as it cooks. 

3) Slightly beat egg yolks and temper with about a cup of the hot custard; stir well. 

4) Add the egg mixture to custard pot and boil 1 more minute, whisking the whole time. 

5) Remove from heat and add vanilla and butter. Let cool. 

6) In a 9 by 9-inch clear dish (or 9 inch round clear dish), alternate pudding, bananas, and wafers, beginning with pudding and ending with pudding. Chill.

7) Whip cream with the 1 Tbsp. sugar until stiff peaks form. Top the pudding with the whip cream, and then decorate the top with reserved bananas and vanilla wafers. 

8) Enjoy!