Mother’s Banana Pudding

(From the kitchen of Nell Cook)

2 ½ Cups Milk

1 Cup Sugar

3 Tablespoons Cornstarch

1 Tablespoon Flour

¼ teaspoon Salt

1 Egg

1 teaspoon Vanilla

½ Cup Milk

Vanilla Wafers (1 box – takes most of the wafers)

2 Bananas (need to be just right for eating – NOT overripe)

Heat the 2 ½ cups milk in saucepan, (about 2 quart size pan or larger).  Do not let boil.

Mix sugar, cornstarch, flour and salt together well in a medium size bowl.

Add ½ cup milk, egg and vanilla to dry mixture and beat well.

Pour mixture gradually into the heated milk, stirring constantly until mixture thickens – about 5 minutes.

(Do not get in a hurry on this step – keeping your heat medium and stirring constantly until it thickens will keep the mixture from sticking to your pan.)

Once the mixture has thickened, remove from heat and let cool before layering your pudding as heat causes bananas to form alcohol and ruins the taste and texture.  Stir it occasionally to keep it cooling and to prevent a dry layer from forming on the top. 

Layer pudding in about a 1 ½ quart blow or casserole dish.

Put a thin layer of pudding in the bottom of the dish,

Then a layer of vanilla wafers,

Then a layer of thinly sliced bananas.

Repeat until pudding is used up, ending with a layer of pudding and topping it with vanilla wafers.

I usually have three layers:  1) pudding, wafers, bananas; 2) pudding, wafers, bananas; 3) last layer of pudding and just wafers.

Best served freshly made – just right for dessert.