Thursday, September 1, 2011

Kugel

Apparently this recipe is my entry ticket to the blog, as mandated by Rebecca, so here you go..."kugel" is Yiddish for pudding, but not like Jell-o pudding, more like bread pudding. There are different kinds of kugel - like potato kugel - and many variations of this kugel, which might be called noodle kugel or cheese kugel or dairy kugel, but as far as I'm concerned (and I've tasted a lot of them), my grandmother's is the only one worth the calories :)

Miriam Dean's Noodle Kugel

Makes 24 squares

1 large box of noodles (you want wide egg noodles)
8 oz pkg cream cheese (I recommend Philadelphia)
1 tsp vanilla
6 eggs
1 1/2 c sugar
salt
cinnamon
1 c sour cream
1/2 c melted butter
crushed cornflakes
cinnamon
sugar
melted butter

Boil and drain noodles according to package directions. Set aside. In a large bowl combine and beat next 8 ingredients. (So that you don't have to count, that's cream cheese through melted butter.) Add noodles and mix thoroughly. Place in 9x13 pan. Top with mixture of remaining ingredients. Refrigerate overnight before baking or freezing. Bake 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees.

NOTE: If there isn't an amount in the ingredients, it's because it wasn't listed. Also my mother says she never refrigerates overnight before baking. But I do. You can choose to serve it hot or cold - I prefer cold - no contest! You can also put raisins in it - but I don't know how many, sorry. I guess it depends how much you like raisins...I think I used a cup when I made it in Texas in July. Also, you can cut the sugar a bit. I usually use a cup (I think). Once my mom and I went to a neighbor's house and left my father to make the kugel and when we ate it, I asked him how much sugar he had used, because it clearly wasn't enough...apparently, none. He missed that line in the recipe. Anyway, it was still good, but I don't recommend omitting the sugar entirely. Finally, if you want to make this just for your family and don't actually think it's a good idea to make the whole thing because you're likely to eat the whole thing, you can put it into smaller pans, bake the ones you aren't going to eat yet for 45 minutes, let them cool, freeze them, and then when you want to eat them, defrost them and bake them for 45 minutes. But don't top them with the cornflakes (which are really optional anyway) if you are putting them in the freezer.

1 comment:

  1. You know I love this recipe. I've beaten the best in kugel cookoffs. Last year we served it at our Christmas party -- with Bob's brisket.

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