By Melissa Clark
“The genius of this sweet noodle kugel — the rich, custardy casserole that is a staple of Jewish cooking — is that its top is designed to offer maximum crunch while its interior remains creamy and luscious. The secret: use a jellyroll pan…”
I have not made a noodle kugel in at least 20 years, but when I saw this recipe, it renewed my interest. The only addition I would add would be to grate a large, peeled apple into the casserole. There is no need to use a jelly roll pan for extra crunch, as suggested. An oblong, glass Pyrex baking dish will do nicely.
INGREDIENTS
Yield: 8 to 12 servings
- 1 cup raisins
- Sherry or orange juice
- 1 pound egg noodles
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, more for pan
- 4 large eggs
- 3 cups cottage cheese
- 1 cup sour cream
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- Pinch of salt
PREPARATION
- Put raisins in a microwave-safe bowl or small saucepan and cover with sherry or orange juice. Heat on stove top or in microwave oven until liquid is steaming hot (about 1½ minutes in microwave or 3 minutes on stove). Let cool while you prepare kugel mixture.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter an 11-by-17-inch jellyroll pan. Cook noodles according to package directions and drain well. Immediately return noodles to pot and add butter. Toss until butter melts.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream, sugar, cinnamon, lemon zest and salt. Drain raisins and add to bowl along with buttered noodles. Mix well.
- Spread mixture in prepared pan and smooth top. Bake until top is crusty and golden, 25 to 35 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. (It might take a little longer to bake.)
Note: I soaked the raisins in orange juice. This added a nice flavor to the pudding.
My Picky Mother 