t the quintessential Southern potluck, the dessert section of the spread represents a treasure trove of secret family recipes, passed from generation to generation through furtive whispers and clandestine instruction. But one dessert you’ll inevitably see is the exact opposite of a secret family recipe: banana pudding. Anyone can guess the four cornerstone ingredients—bananas, vanilla pudding/custard, meringue or whipped cream, and Nabisco Nilla Wafers—as the recipe is etched on almost every Nilla Wafers box in existence. The soft vanilla cookie is so key to the banana pudding formula
