Classic Banana Pudding

This is the layered, spoon-through-it kind of banana pudding, built on a real stovetop custard rather than a boxed mix. Nilla wafers soften into the vanilla custard overnight while the whole thing chills, which is the point.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups whole milk
• 4 large egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 box (11 oz) Nilla wafers
• 5 to 6 ripe bananas, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Instructions

1. Whisk the granulated sugar, flour, and salt together in a heavy saucepan off the heat.
2. Gradually whisk in the whole milk until the mixture is smooth with no lumps of flour.
3. Set the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, until the custard thickens and just comes to a low boil, about 8 to 10 minutes.
4. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks. Slowly pour in about a cup of the hot custard while whisking hard, then scrape the tempered yolks back into the saucepan.
5. Cook another 2 minutes, stirring the whole time, until the custard coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla.
6. Let the custard cool for 10 minutes, stirring now and then so a skin does not form.
7. Spread a thin layer of custard in the bottom of a 3-quart dish. Cover with a single layer of Nilla wafers, then a layer of sliced bananas.
8. Spoon a third of the remaining custard over the bananas. Repeat the wafer, banana, and custard layers two more times.
9. Whip the heavy cream with the confectioners' sugar to soft peaks and spread it over the top.
10. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, so the wafers soften into the custard before serving.

Tips

• Use bananas that are speckled but still firm. Fully black-spotted bananas turn to mush by the second day.
• A layer of wafers pressed up the sides of the dish gives you that soft cookie edge everyone fights over.