Individual Banana Pudding Pie

Banana pudding runs through the veins of any self-respecting southerner. It's mandatory at all events: births, deaths, weddings, Sunday dinners, and any backyard BBQ. Putting a spin on this sacred dessert will probably get me kicked out of the Junior League or Country Club. (Get real... if you've been reading my blog at all, you know that I travel to the beat of a different drum. I do not join respectable boring groups.)

Ingredients for pie crust:

1 (12-ounce) box vanilla wafers, divided

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 large bananas, sliced

Vanilla Cream Filling

4 egg whites

1/2 cup sugar

Ingredients for Vanilla Cream Filling:
2 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Reserve 30 vanilla wafers; pulse remaining vanilla wafers in a food processor 8 to 10 times or until coarsely crushed. (Yield is about 2-1/2 cups.) Stir together crushed vanilla wafers and butter until blended. Firmly press on bottom, up sides, and onto lip of a 9-inch pie plate.

2. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack, and let cool 30 minutes or until completely cool.

3. Arrange half of banana slices over bottom of crust. Prepare Vanilla Cream Filling, and spread 3.4-cup hot filling over bananas; top with 20 reserved vanilla wafers. Spread 3/4 cup hot filling over vanilla wafers, and top with remaining half of banana slices. Spread remaining hot filling (about 1 cup) over banana slices. (Filling will be about 1/4-inch higher than top edge of crust.

4. Beat egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Spread meringue over hot filling, sealing edges.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, and let cool on a wire rack 1 hour or until completely cool. Coarsely crush remaining 10 vanilla wafers, and sprinkle over top of pie. Cover and chill 4 hours.

Directions for Vanilla Cream Filling:
1. Whisk together first 5 ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, 8 to 10 minutes or until mixture reaches the thickness of chilled pudding. (It will just begin to bubble and will be thick enough to hold soft peaks when whisk is lifted.) Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla. Use immediately.

For my version: Using 4 (6 ounce containers), I cut the recipe into 1/3. I followed the directions for the temperature and times.