Southern Banana Pudding

Not to toot my own horn, but my banana pudding is famous.  I have to bring it to every family function & my friends have all requested the recipe.   It was discovered last week that one of the new guys where my hubby works has never had banana pudding.  Since they've eaten mine many times, it was decided that I should make some to send in. 
I spent my Sunday evening preparing it & thought I would share it with you guys.

Southern Style Banana Pudding

Pudding Ingredients:
•1 cup Sugar
•1/2 cup all-purpose flour
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•2 cups milk
•1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•1 tablespoon butter
•4 egg yolks (large eggs or better)
•box of Vanilla wafers
•4-5 ripe bananas

Meringue:
•4 egg whites, at room temperature
•5 tablespoons sugar
•1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
•1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

The best part of making this.. snacking on the cookies.

Line the bottom of a baking dish with vanilla wafers. Cover with sliced bananas.

Mix together sugar, flour & salt in a bowl.  In a double broiler over medium heat, beat egg yolks.  Add milk & vanilla mixture alternating with dry ingredients.  Stir consistently until boiling.  Continue stirring until

thickened to a pudding consistency.  Add butter. 

Pour pudding on top of cookies & bananas.  Add another layer of cookies, bananas & pudding.

To make meringue, beat room temperature egg whites.  Add cream of tartar & continue beating on high speed until soft peaks form.  Add in tablespoon of sugar at a time, continuously beating until meringue will hold a stiff peak.  Once done, fold in vanilla and spread over pudding.

Bake in a preheated oven at 375 for approximately 10 minutes until golden brown.  Enjoy!