BANANA PUDDING PIE

Why I Love This Recipe
Ingredients You'll Need
1 (12-ounce) box vanilla wafers, divided
½ cup butter, melted
2 large bananas, sliced
2 tsps lemon juice
Vanilla Cream Filling (see recipe below)
4 egg whites
½ cup sugar
Ingredients for Vanilla Cream Filling:
¾ cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
4 egg yolks
2 cups milk
2 tsp. crème de banana
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350º F. Set aside 30 vanilla wafers. Pulse
remaining vanilla wafers in a food processor until coarsely crushed. In
a bowl, stir together crushed vanilla wafers and butter until blended.
Firmly press on bottom, up sides, and onto the lip of a 9-inch pie
plate. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove and let
cool completely, about 30 minutes. In a small bowl, combine banana
slices with lemon juice. Arrange slices evenly on the bottom of the
cooled crust. Prepare vanilla cream filling, and spread half of the hot
filling over bananas. Top with 20 vanilla wafers and spread remaining
hot filling over vanilla wafers. In a clean mixing bowl, beat egg whites
at high speed until foamy. Add sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating
until stiff peaks form and sugar dissolves. Spread meringue evenly over
hot filling, sealing the edges. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden
brown. Remove from oven, and allow to cool 1 hour. Coarsely crush
remaining 10 vanilla wafers, and sprinkle over top of pie. Chill for
4 hours.
Vanilla Cream Filling
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together sugar, flour, eggs, yolks
and milk over a medium-low heat. Whisk constantly until it reaches the
thickness of chilled pudding, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat
and stir in vanilla and crème de banana. Use immediately.