Better banana pudding

Sugar	1 cup + 5 tablespoons
Flour, all-purpose	½ cup
Salt	½ teaspoon
Milk, whole	2 cups
Vanilla extract	1 teaspoon + ½ teaspoon
Butter	1 tablespoon
Eggs, separated, room temperature	4 yolks 4 whites
Vanilla wafers	1 box
Bananas, very ripe	5
Cream of tartar	¼ teaspoon

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Line the bottom of a 9x9-inch dish with wafers.
3. Peel and slice bananas into ½-inch rounds; cover slices with plastic wrap to prevent them from darkening as you make the pudding.
4. In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup sugar, flour, and salt; mix well, and set aside.
5. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, beat yolks well.
6. Add flour mixture to yolks, alternately with the milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla, stirring constantly.
7. Bring to a gentle boil and, when the mixture thickens, add the butter, continuing to stir.
8. Continue to boil and stir until the mixture achieves a pudding-like consistency; remove from heat.
9. Layer banana slices on top of the wafers (don’t be stingy with the banana slices—line them up from edge-to-edge).
10. Spoon half the pudding over the slices, and spread evenly.
11. Put down another layer of wafers, banana slices, and then pudding.
12. In a mixing bowl, beat whites at high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
13. Add cream of tartar, and then gradually add 5 tablespoons sugar, a tablespoon at a time, and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
14. Fold ½ teaspoon vanilla into the whites, and spread over the pudding, sealing the sides of the dish.
15. Bake until meringue browns, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Time: 35 minutes total (20 minutes active; 15 minutes baking) • 6 to 8 servings