Mommy to Bee Shower Foods: Banana Pudding

For my niece’s Mommy to Bee shower we decided to have Banana Pudding
instead of cupcakes, because it is one of my niece’s favorites. We prepared our regular Banana Pudding recipe, but instead of a meringue, we used Cool Whip. My Dad had made us a wooden cupcake holder for my daughters wedding back in 2015 and this cupcake holder worked perfectly for our banana pudding.

My favorite Banana Pudding recipe is one I got from My Mother-in-Law.  So Yummy!!!

MeMaw's Banana Pudding
Note: This is a doubled recipe, it also works perfectly cut in half.
Ingredients:
For Pudding:
 2 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
 2 cups sugar
 4 large eggs separated (you'll need whites later for meringue)
 2 cups evaporated milk
 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
 1/4 to 1/2 cup Water
 1 to 1 1/2 boxes vanilla wafers (Depending on your preference.)
 3-4 bananas
For Meringue:
 4 egg whites reserved from above
 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
 6 Tablespoons sugar
 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
(If you do not want to prepare Meringue, Cool Whip on top is delicious.)

Instructions for Pudding
 Preheat oven to 350º F.
 Combine flour and sugar in a saucepan and mix by hand until lumps are out.
Next add water to moisten and stir together. Add egg yolks to flour mixture and stir together, then add the evaporated milk and stir it all together.
Cook over low to medium heat, stirring constantly, until ingredients are thickened and smooth. (If too thick, can add additional water.) Remove saucepan from heat and stir in vanilla.

 To layer your banana pudding, begin by placing vanilla wafers on the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish or another 3-quart container.
 Slice bananas and place on top of wafers.
 Pour one-half of Pudding over wafers and bananas.
 Repeat layering process again until all wafers, bananas, and pudding have been used. (Some people end with a final layer of wafers for decorative purposes.)

If you are not adding the meringue, leave off the top layer of wafers. Go ahead and bake at 350 Degrees for 20-25 minutes. Add cool whip once cool.  If you add it when warm, it will melt into the banana pudding and give it a sweeter flavor, which is still good, and then add you will have to add more Cool Whip once cool.

For the Meringue:
 Whip the egg whites with an electric mixer set at high speed until the egg whites foam.  Next continuing whipping but add the cream of tartar and then gradually add the sugar one tablespoon at a time.  Now, Continue whipping until sugar is well-dissolved.  Add vanilla once stiff peaks have formed and whip until well-combined.  Spread meringue over banana pudding, making sure you spread it all the way to the edges of the dish.
 Bake for about 20-25 minutes until the meringue is lightly browned.

Everyone at the shower loved the banana Pudding, especially the Mommy to "Bee".