TWEET'S BANANA PUDDING

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups milk                               1 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs separated                    1 tablespoon real butter
3 tablespoons cornstarch       1 (20 oz.) box Nilla wafers
3/4 cup sugar                           6 bananas (ripe)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Mix milk, egg yokes, cornstarch and sugar in top of double boiler and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until it thickens.  Remove from heat and add vanilla and butter. Line bottom and sides of a 2-quart dish with vanilla wafers and top with sliced bananas.  Pour 1/2 of the pudding mixture over top of wafers and bananas.  Add another layer of wafers and bananas, topping with remaining pudding mixture.  Beat egg whites with mixer on high speed until stiff; add 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar and 6 tablespoons of sugar, mixing well.  Add the meringue to the top of the pudding and bake at 350 degrees for 5 to 8 minutes or until golden brown.

YIELD:  8 to 12 servings

Note: This is another one my brides ole timey recipes. The vanilla that she uses in her recipes is the real stuff, not vanilla extract imitation.  We purchased two 2-liter bottles from Tijuana, Mexico while we were visiting with our son and his family in Ocean Side, CA. and hand-walked the vanilla across the border.  This is my favorite banana pudding recipe and not the pudding out of the box or "lite" version.  If you want a thicker pudding, use a 1 1/2 quart baking dish instead of the 2-quart, or increase your pudding (filling) by one-half.  Also, the pure vanilla from Tijuana is so rich in flavor, My bride uses only 1/2 teaspoon, however use 1 teaspoon of locally purchased vanilla.  Do not use a cheap or "knock off" generic brand of  vanilla wafers.  Also, be sure and spread the meringue mixture to the edge of the baking dish to prevent air from escaping which could cause your meringue topping to deflate badly when it cools down!  Comments by Mickey Porter February 19, 1999.