Ingredients

Custard:

6½ cups milk

½ cup heavy whipping cream

¼ cup cornstarch

Sugar 1 cup for semi sweet OR...1½ cup for sweet af

1 teaspoon salt

7 egg yolks

Vanilla extract (generous amount)

Vanilla bean paste (generous amount) tirn the milk brown if you like. I just eyeball it.

Butter (add after cooking while custard is still hot)

Assembly:

7 bananas

1½ boxes Nilla Wafers

STEP 1: Make the Hot Vanilla Milk Base

In a pot, combine ONLY:

Milk

Heavy whipping cream

Vanilla extract

Vanilla bean paste

Bring the mixture up to a full boil - piping hot and bubbling.

Stir while heating so the milk does not burn on the bottom.

STEP 2: Prepare the Egg Mixture

In a separate bowl, add:

Cornstarch (¼ cup)

Sugar

7 egg yolks

Salt

Mix everything together until it becomes smooth and looks like pancake batter.

Step 3: Temper the Eggs (IMPORTANT)

When the milk mixture is piping hot and boiling, do not dump it all into the egg mixture at once.

You need to slowly bring the eggs up to temperature.

Add the hot milk mixture into the egg bowl slowly.

Start with about 1-2 ounces at a time while whisking constantly.

Continue adding small amounts, then increase to about ½ cup at a time.

Keep whisking nonstop so the eggs do not scramble.

Once the egg mixture is warmed up and used to the heat, you can slowly add the remaining milk while continuing to whisk.

STEP 4: Cook the Custard (Double Boiler Method)

Pour the custard mixture into a metal bowl.

Place the metal bowl into a pot or deep skillet with boiling water underneath. This setup is called a double boiler.

Stir constantly while the custard cooks.

The boiling water gently heats the custard and prevents it from burning.

Continue stirring until the custard becomes thick, smooth, and pudding-like.

STEP 5: Finish and Cool the Custard

Once the custard is finished:

Add butter while the custard is still warm.

Stir until the butter melts completely and blends in.

IMPORTANT:

Do not pour hot custard over the bananas. The heat will cook the bananas and ruin the texture.

Let the custard cool before assembling.

\*\*\*TIP: Place the custard in the freezer while preparing the cookie layers to help it cool faster.\*\*\*

STEP 6: Add Banana Flavor

Once the custard has cooled:

Mash 1 banana and stir it into the custard.

STEP 7: Layer the Banana Pudding

Layer in this order:

Cookies → Custard → Bananas

Cookies → Custard → Bananas

Cookies → Custard → Bananas

Repeat until you run out of cookies or fill your dish.

I didn't add the Meringue step because I didn't try to make it with that yet. Its easy to make with egg whites lemon and sugar and you can toast it in the oven on broil after your pie is assembled. Thats up to yall. Also be prepared to stir the custard for a long ass time possibly 40 minutes until it thickens. You can't use a electric wisk because it's too fast for making custard. 

Banana Pudding.