Southern Style Banana Pudding

I have a healthy recipe for you today. Well...it has fruit in it. Doesn't that count for something?!?! And milk!
Yes, indeed, pure health food.

This is a family recipe. About 5 years ago, when my grandmother died, I offered to take all the family recipes and type them up so everyone in my family could have a copy. Well, this was much more of a task than I had anticipated. I had all my grandmother's recipes and one of my great aunt's collections. These women loved to cook as much as myself. Their recipes were like gold to me. I mean, we're talking hundreds of handwritten recipes. Lots of the recipes were collected from other women in the family. One was even handwritten by my great grandmother on the most fragile tea-colored paper. I could just invision as I went through all these recipes how they were obtained. A lifetime of get-togethers with fabulous food. Many of the recipes between my Aunt Ruby's recipes and my Granny's recipes were duplicates. So, I knew they must have been at the same get-togethers a lot. I can almost see them calling one another the next day and talking about how wonderful something tasted and how they must call and request that particular recipe. Many of the recipes brought back warm memories of these women that I cherished because I can remember them bringing some of the dishes to different holiday gatherings.

So, its been 5 years. To make a long story short, I am just getting started on this little recipe collection that I was suppose to be working on. What can I say...life just gets in the way sometimes. It was my New Year's Resolution this year to get this family cookbook finished! The recipe I have today was one of my Aunt Ruby's (my grandmothers sister). It is a classic homemade banana pudding. Very similar to any baked banana pudding recipe you would find on a box of vanilla wafers. There is just something so comforting about a homemade banana pudding. So, go make this and snuggle up beside the fire and take a moment to remember some fond memories of the individuals that make up your family tree. Enjoy!

Aunt Ruby's Banana Pudding
3/4 cup granulated sugar, separated

4 eggs (1 whole, 3 separated)
3 Tbsp. flour
2 cups sweet milk*
4-5 bananas, overripe
dash salt
vanilla wafers
vanilla flavoring

1. Mix ½ cup sugar, flour and salt in top of double boiler. Blend in 3 egg yolks, whole egg and milk. Make sure to save the egg whites for the meringue. Cook, uncovered, over boiling water, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.

2. Cover bottom of baking dish with vanilla wafers. Cover with ½ the and half the custard. Repeat ending with custard.

3. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form; gradually add remaining ¼ cup sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. Spoon on top of pudding, spreading evenly to cover entire surface and sealing well to edges.

4. Bake at 350°F in top half of oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until browned. Cool slightly or refrigerate.

*Note:  I typed this recipe exactly as written on the recipe card. One of my favorite things about old recipes is the mention of "sweet milk." Most southerners know that "sweet milk" is just regular milk, but it is identified as such so it will not be confused with buttermilk (sour milk) in the recipes. Also, on the vanilla, I used about a teaspoon. I think this is best when refrigerated overnight or for a few hours.