What's a "Kugel"

This week is the last of the Jewish High Holy days, Yom Kippur. It's a day of refection and

fasting and ends with a meal called "break the fast". Usually, it's a fairly light meal and traditionally its bagels and lox (smoked salmon). I like to have one more dish, a kugel.

A kugel is traditional Ashkenazi (eastern European) Jewish dish, made from egg noodles or potatoes, though there are many variations. It's baked and can either be sweet or savory.

I'm doing a sweet noodle Kugel for this Saturday. As the holiday starts Friday night, we will appreciate a yummy kugel alongside our bagels and lox on Saturday night. There are three that I've made over the years and here they are for you.

The first is by Tori Avey. It's a twist on the traditional kugel as it has sweet spices and a hint of rum. The cranberries really give it an autumn vibe. It would be great now or something to bring to a potluck, a Thanksgiving side, a Hanukah celebration or part of a Christmas brunch. This is a large dish and can serve up to 15 people! If the crowd is smaller, you can half it. But prepare for seconds on this one, it's that good! It's the ultimate comfort food and is literally scrumptious! Every time I have made it my guests ask for the recipe. I think you will love it!

Rum Raisin Cranberry Kugel (Courtesy of Tori Avey)

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup raisins

• 3/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries

• 1 1/4 cups dark rum

• 12 ounces wide egg noodles

• 6 large eggs

• 2 cups sour cream (use low-fat if desired)

• 1 cup ricotta (use low-fat if desired)

• 1 cup cream cheese, softened (use low-fat if desired)

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon cloves

• 1/4 teaspoon allspice

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional- leave out for nut allergies)

• Nonstick cooking oil spray

• Cinnamon and sugar for dusting, or the topping of your choice

Instructions

• Place a rack in the middle of your oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. On the stovetop, place the raisins and cranberries in a small pot and cover with rum. 

• Simmer the mixture over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, until the fruit has plumped, and all the liquid is absorbed. Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't burn. Remove from heat and reserve.

• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the noodles to the pot, bring back to a boil, and let the noodles cook till tender (al dente, not overly soft) for about 5 minutes. Drain, rinse briefly with cold water, and return to the pot.

• In a food processor or blender, mix together the eggs, sour cream, ricotta, cream cheese, sugar, brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla, spices, and salt.

• Pour the blended egg mixture over the cooked noodles in the pot and stir until well combined. Add the rum raisins, cranberries, and walnuts, and stir into the noodles.

• Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the noodle mixture into the dish. Top the kugel by sprinkling generously with sugar and lightly with cinnamon. Alternatively, use your favorite kugel topping (streusel, crushed graham crackers, cornflakes, etc.). I like this kugel without an extra topping as the noodles form a crunchy texture when they bake and brown. Either way works, it's your preference.

• Bake about 60 minutes, turning once halfway through, until the center is set and the tips of the noodles turn golden brown. Remove from the oven. Let rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing. For a cleaner slice, let the kugel cool to room temperature before cutting

  
  

My second recipe is from Deb Perlman. It's a very traditional kugel, almost like a pudding and is absolutely delicious. I'm making this one for Saturday.

Deb Perlman's Family Recipe Noodle Kugel

1-pound wide egg noodles

8 eggs

2 cups sugar (her mom uses 1 1/2 cups which is what I do)

2 pounds full-fat cottage cheese, creamed or large curd

2 sticks (1 cup or 8 ounces) melted unsalted butter or margarine (her mom uses 1 1/2 sticks butter)

2 teaspoons vanilla

Dash of salt

Optional: 2 cups canned cherry pie filling (I don't use this but its in the original recipe)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Parboil the noodles (five to seven minutes).

2. In a very large bowl beat eggs until fluffy. Add the sugar gradually, then the cottage cheese, margarine or butter and vanilla. Stir in the drained noodles.

3. Pour into a 9×13-inch pan. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until kugel is set. If using the cherry pie filling as a topping, pour it over at the one-hour mark, then bake it for an additional 30 minutes.

Note:

As your baking time may vary, check for doneness with a butter knife after one hour. If it comes out clean, its done. If it's wet, it still needs more time.

I've never added the cherry pie topping but if you want a cherry topping, I make my own by taking a bag of frozen sour cherries cooked with half a cup of water in a saucepan for about 10 minutes. Mix 1/2 cup of sugar with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and stir these into the pot. The mixture will thicken within a couple minutes. Cool before using. This is also the topping I use for my cheesecake that I'll put in a different post:)

Last but not least is a recipe from my sister-in-law, Sherri Zeppelin. Sherri is an amazing cook and baker. Everything she turns out in her kitchen is solid gold. And this recipe is no exception. This is her family's favorite, and it might just turn out to be yours as well!

Sherri Zeppelin's Family Kugel

Ingredients

1 lb. medium egg noodles, cooked and drained

1 c sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

7 eggs

1 cup white raisins

3 cups whole milk

1 pint of sour cream

1 1/2 sticks of butter

Topping

1/2 cup cornflake crumbs

1 t sugar

1 t cinnamon

3 T melted butter

Directions

Pre heat oven to 350.

1. Melt one stick of butter and put in a large bowl. Add to it the sugar, vanilla, and eggs and mix well.

2. Add the raisins, milk, and sour cream.

3. Fold in the cooked noodles.

4. Melt the remaining 1/2 stick of butter in a 4-quart Pyrex baking dish in the oven.

5. Take the dish out of the oven and pour the noodle mix into it.

6. Take the cornflake crumbs and mix with the sugar, cinnamon and melted butter and spread over the noodle mixture.

7. Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until done. Check for doneness at the one-hour mark.

I think you will love any one of these recipes. Now that I wrote them all out, I'm not sure which one I'll do:) But this goes for all of them. They are the ultimate comfort food, and we can all use a little of that these days. So, forget the carbs and calories. Just do as the French do. Eat in moderation and walk!

Liz❤️

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