I didn’t see my son for more than two years after he enlisted in the Marines after high school. When he finally arrived back home, I just grabbed hold of him at the airport and burst out crying. And when we got to our house, the first thing he ate was two bowls of my banana pudding.
—STEPHANIE HARRIS MONTPELIER, VA
PREP: 35 MIN. + CHILLING • MAKES: 9 SERVINGS
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups 2% milk
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 ounces vanilla wafers (about 60 cookies), divided
4 large ripe bananas, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1. In a large saucepan, mix the sugar, flour and salt. Whisk in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until mix is thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat.
2. In a small bowl, whisk eggs. Whisk small amount of the hot mixture into eggs; return all to the pan, whisking it constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla. Cool for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. In ungreased 8-in. square baking dish, layer 25 vanilla wafers, half of the banana slices and half of the pudding. Repeat the layers.
4. Press plastic wrap onto surface of pudding. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Just before serving, crush remaining wafers and sprinkle over the top.