Because it's cold out and we're living in stressful times, I'm going to share my beloved recipe for Vanilla Wafer Banana Pudding -- one of the greatest comfort foods of all time. We all need a little bit of solace these days, and this is one of the best ways I know for achieving it. Sure, you could open a box of instant vanilla pudding and whisk in some milk to make a faster and easier version of this sublime dessert; but it takes very little effort to make this from scratch, and the flavor is incomparable. Even if you don't consider yourself much of a cook, you can still make this recipe very easily:

In a medium saucepan, stir together 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 cup sugar, and a pinch of salt. Add 1 cup of boiling water, and bring the entire mixture to a boil while stirring constantly. Cook just until thickened, and then stir in 2 cups half-and-half and 2 beaten eggs. Cook over medium heat, still stirring constantly, until thickened and the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the juice of half a lemon and 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract (double-strength would be best, if you've got it). Refrigerate the pudding until cool, then stir in 3 sliced bananas. (Soak the banana slices in a bowl of water to which the juice from the other lemon half has been added, to keep them from browning.)

In a glass bowl, layer one-third of the pudding, then top it with a single layer of vanilla wafers; repeat the layering with more pudding and another single layer of wafers, and then top the bowl off with the last of the pudding. Crumble a few of the cookies, and sprinkle them on top. Voila! With very little effort, you've made a vanilla wafer banana pudding to surprise your family for dessert!

This is a very special treat -- a simple thing, but one that's rich enough to be considered a luxury. It is truly a perfect way to care for your family, and to show them how much you love them when they come in from the cold or after a long hard day. Vanilla Wafer Banana Pudding is sweet and soothing ... a security blanket with a spoon.