Toni Yates' famous banana pudding recipe

-Prepare pudding according to box directions. I use whole milk because....IT'S DESSERT!! Should be rich...

-Pour lime juice into a seperate bowl, stir in fine granulated sugar.

-Chop bananas into small 'coins" and toss them into the lime juice and sugar mixture; stir them around. This keeps the bananas from turning brown, and gives them extra sweetness.

-Pour crushed pineapples into a strainer to drain off access juice. You don't want them to be too wet.

-I use an aluminum lasagna pan for the dessert. Slather a small amount of pudding on the bottom, just to keep the cookies from sliding around (sort of like a pudding glue!) Then layer the entire pan with cookies, flat side down.

-I start with a pudding layer on top of the cookies. It's best to drop about 6 to 8 big dollops in different areas of the pan, then spread it out evenly.

-Next, add a layer of bananas laid out evenly. Not too many...give them about a quarter inch breathing room from each other.

-Next layer is Cool Whip. Stir it while its still in the tub to make sure it's smooth; it's easier to spread that way.

-On top of the Cool Whip, sprinkle walnuts and pineapple. MAKE SURE YOU ONLY SPRINKLE A LITE LAYER OF PINEAPPLE, you don't want to over-power the bananas...just enough that someone would say "Hmm, was that a pineapple I tasted?"

-The next layer will be Nilla Wafers. If you like more 'crust', you can make it 2-layers of cookies. I find people like the taste and texture of the cookies very much!

-Next layers:pudding, then bananas, then the final layer of Cool Whip, which should be the top.

You can decorate with nuts or cherries, or Mini Nilla Wafers. I always buy and extra box of Mini Nilla Wafers, so after guests scoop the pudding onto their plates, they can add more cookies if they want to.

Serve very cold and keep in the fridge.

PLEASE NOTE, BANANA PUDDING LASTS WELL FOR ONLY A FEW DAYS, SO MAKE ONLY THE AMOUNT YOU WILL EAT WITHIN 2 OR 3 DAYS!!

I hope you enjoy this Southern favorite!!!!