Original Nilla Banana Pudding

My three sons have eaten all sorts of gourmet desserts in restaurants around the globe - from tiramisu to creme brulee to more exotic fare.  However, when asked what they want me to fix for special occasions,  there is one favorite, which their grandmother always made when they visited.  Now that my mother no longer is able to cook, they ask me to fix this Southern staple.  The recipe used to appear on the back of the vanilla wafer box but, lately, I haven't seen it there.  I was able to find it online, however, and I just made banana pudding for them the other day.  I doubled the recipe so that it everyone would get at least two servings.  Since my middle son, Alex, couldn't come down from Sacramento, I photographed it for him and sent his fiance the recipe.

Original Nilla Banana Pudding Ready in: 60 mins. Layers of Nilla wafers, creamy pudding and fresh banana slices are the stars of this American classic. 3/4 cup sugar, divided 1/3 cup all-purpose flour Dash salt 3 eggs, separated 2 cups milk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 45 NILLA Wafers, divided 5 ripe bananas, sliced (about 3 1/2 cups), divided Additional NILLA Wafers and banana slices, for garnish 1. Mix 1/2 cup sugar, flour and salt in top of double boiler. Blend in 3 egg yolks and milk. Cook, uncovered, over boiling water, stirring constantly for 10 to 12 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. 2. Reserve 10 wafers for garnish. Spread small amount of custard on bottom of 1 1/2-quart casserole; cover with a layer of wafers and a layer of sliced bananas. Pour about 1/3 of custard over bananas. Continue to layer wafers, bananas and custard to make a total of 3 layers of each, ending with custard. 3. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form; gradually add remaining 1/4 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. Garnish with additional wafers and banana slices just before serving. Makes 8 servings NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION per serving 287 calories, 6 g protein, 50 g carbohydrate, 7 g total fat 2 g saturated fat, 117 mg cholesterol, 134 mg sodium, 1 g dietary fiber. Preparation Time: 30 mins. Cook Time: 15 mins. Cooling Time: 15 mins. Total Time: 60 mins. _________________________________________________________ This recipe courtesy of Back of the Box Recipes. www.backofthebox.com This recipe created by Nabisco.