Banana Pudding

Combine the cornstarch, granulated sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Whisk to combine until no clumps of cornstarch remain.

Whisk in the eggs, followed by the sweetened condensed milk, until completely homogenous. Then whisk in the whole milk and vanilla bean.

Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly. Make sure to whisk in the corners and the bottom of the pot to keep the milk and sugars from scorching. Continue to cook until the custard thickens and starts to boil. Once it boils, continue to cook for 1 minute to activate the cornstarch.

Remove the cooked pudding from the heat and whisk in the butter and the vanilla extract until there are no visible pieces of butter or streaks of vanilla.

Pour onto a plastic-lined baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap poking a few holes. Refrigerate until set.

Place the pudding in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Condition the pudding until loosened slightly. This will not get rid of any lumps, but it will make it easier to fold in the cream. This can also be done by hand with a spatula.

Whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks. You will know it’s done when the whisk is pulled out and held straight up. The whipped cream will hold a peak without falling over.

Fold a small amount of whipped cream into the pudding mixture. This small amount of cream will further loosen the pudding, making it easier to fold in the remaining cream. This is called “sacrificing” because you sacrifice the air in a small amount of the whipped cream by folding it in aggressively.

Fold in the remaining cream until smooth.

Slice the bananas to the desired size. I prefer banana coins. Start layering the dessert in a baking dish, trifle dish or individual cups. Start layering with some of the pudding, followed by several slices of bananas in an even layer and a layer of the vanilla wafer cookies. Repeat until you reach the top of the serving dish.

Let the pudding chill in the refrigerator for 6 hours to overnight. We want all the flavors to meld together. The longer the better!