The Best Hot Banana Pudding

My whole life I have loved banana pudding. Cold banana pudding. My mom on the other hand loves hot banana pudding. For many years we would go out to eat and that's what she would get. I could not get myself to try it because I just couldn't imagine it being any better than my wonderful cold banana pudding! Well, I was wrong! I made Paula Deen's recipe a couple of months ago and it is amazing! While it was really good, the pudding was too runny and so I made a couple of changes. Hope y'all enjoy!!!

For the pudding
3/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons cornstarch
2 1/2 cups milk
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ounces (1/2 stick) butter
3 medium bananas, sliced
1 (12-ounce box) vanilla wafers

For the meringue topping*
3 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 cup sugar

Mix together sugar and cornstarch and slowly add milk. The recipe said to heat it in a double boiler, but I just cooked it in a regular saucepan on low heat until it comes to a small boil and thickens. If you do this be very careful because it will burn very easy! Make sure that you are stirring it constantly and don't leave it on the stove! You can ask my dad what happens when the recipe says that and you don't follow it! lol

Slightly beat the egg yolks and temper it with a small amount of the hot custard and stir well. Add egg mixture to custard pot and cook 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla and butter. Let cool. Instead of a 9 by 9-inch baking dish I used a 13x9 dish, alternate pudding, bananas, and wafers, beginning with pudding and ending with pudding. Add topping, if desired.

For the meringue topping, if using:
Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar until stiff peaks form, then spread onto top of pudding mixture. Bake until golden brown.

*Depending on the size of the dish you are using you may need to double the amount of meringue. As I said before, I didn't use a 9x9 inch dish and I doubled the recipe as a whole. I actually messed up and more like quadrupled the meringue! I was worried about what I was gonna do with all of the extra, but it all worked out great! That's why I said that you may need to alter the amount of the meringue.