In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt.
Whisk in the cream and milk.
Add the egg yolks.
Split the vanilla bean in half and scrape out the seeds into the saucepan. Don't skip this step or replace it with vanilla extract - this one bean goes a long way.
Whisk the mixture until everything is combined.
Place the saucepan over a burner and set the heat to medium-high.
While whisking constantly, bring the mixture to a boil, about 5 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat, and the butter and stir vigorously for two minutes to release excess heat. The mixture will be smooth and thick.
Place plastic wrap directly against the pudding and let cool in the fridge at least one hour.
After the pudding has cooled, remove from the fridge while preparing the bananas.
Slice the bananas and toss with orange juice. Set aside.
Place the peanut butter cookies in a heavy-duty Ziploc bag and beat to fine crumbs with a rolling pin.
Place a layer of peanut butter cookie crumbs in a serving jar and top with banana slices.
Place a dollop of pudding over the bananas to cover and repeat the process as needed to fill the remaining jar/s.
Top with a sprinkle of cookie crumbs and banana slices. Serve and don't expect leftovers.
Notes
adapted from Baked ExplorationsIf you have ever wondered if splitting a vanilla bean is worth it - it is.