PreparationFor the crust: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Place the vanilla wafers in a food processor and pulse until the crumbs resemble coarse meal. Add the melted butter and sugar and pulse until the cookie crumbs are evenly moistened. Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie tin. Bake the crust until set and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely. For the filling: Cover and chill the egg whites. In a medium saucepan, combine the cornstarch, milk, cream, egg yolks, and 1 cup of the sugar. Cook over medium heat, whisking continuously, until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Do not leave the custard unattended while whisking because the egg yolks will cook and make the mixture grainy. Whisk in the butter, vanilla, and salt. Pour the custard into the baked crust and chill for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. When ready to assemble the pie, preheat the oven to 375°F. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites and the cream of tartar. With the mixer on high speed, gradually add the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar and whisk until stiff peaks form. Arrange the banana slices in a single layer over the custard. Top the banana slices with the vanilla wafers. Spread the meringue over the wafers, covering the entire pie. Bake until the meringue is light brown all over, about 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, then chill for at least 20 minutes before serving. Chef’s Tip: The secret to making custard pies is controlling the heat of the stove: it should be intense enough to advance the cooking process but not so hot that it scorches the custard. From Meals, Music, and Muses: Recipes from My African American Kitchen © 2020 by Alexander Smalls. Reprinted with permission from Flatiron Books, a division of Macmillan.Buy the full book from Amazon or Bookshop.