March is National Noodle Month. And nothing says Jewish comfort food like sweet noodle kugel.
Jessie-Sierra Ross is a “die-hard” kugel fan.
“This recipe is based on a very old and very old-school dairy kugel recipe that my family has been making for generations,” Ross, founder Straight to the Hips, Baby, and author of “Seasons Around the Table,” told The Journal. “Sweet, creamy and filled with my addition of dried cranberries and golden raisins, it tastes like home to me.”
Ross explained that she usually makes one extra-large lasagna tray, but you can also split this recipe between two medium lasagna pans. “Often served on Shabbat morning, family potlucks or delivered to families needing a little meal help, each bite is a cinnamon flavored burst of comfort,” she said. “Whether eaten hot, cold or somewhere in between, this is a wonderful and freezer-friendly Jewish noodle dish!”
Sweet Noodle Pudding (Kugel) with Cranberries and Golden Raisins
Yield: Serves 16 (1 extra-large lasagna pan or split between 2 medium lasagna pans)
For the Kugel:
6 large eggs
½ cup white sugar
4 Tbsp butter, melted
8 ounces farmer’s cheese
16 ounces cottage cheese
8 ounces block cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
2 cups milk
½ pound medium egg noodles, cooked according to package instructions and drained
¼ cup golden raisins
¼ cup dried cranberries
For the Topping:
2 Tbsp butter, melted
¼ cup brown sugar
1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Prepare the Kugel:
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs and white sugar together until well combined and slightly lightened in texture, about 5 minutes.
3. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan or in the microwave. Set aside to cool slightly.
4. To the beaten eggs and sugar, add the farmer’s cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, softened cream cheese, melted butter, vanilla extract and salt. Mix until smooth and well incorporated. Pour in the milk and stir to fully combine.
5. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked egg noodles with the dairy mixture, stirring gently to coat evenly.
6. Fold in the golden raisins and dried cranberries.
7. Pour the noodle mixture into one large lasagna pan (or two medium-sized), spreading it evenly.
Prepare the Topping:
8. In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons melted butter and ¼ cup brown sugar to form a thick paste.
9. Dot the surface of the kugel with spoonfuls of the brown sugar mixture. Swirl gently with a knife to lightly marble it into the top.
Bake:
10. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
11. Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 30-40 minutes, watching carefully to prevent over-browning. You’re looking for golden, crispy edges, not blackened bits.
12. The kugel is done when the custard is fully set and the top is lightly browned.
13. Allow the kugel to rest for 20 minutes before serving.
Note: This dish is equally delicious warm, at room temperature or chilled straight from the refrigerator.
During lockdown, Faith Kramer developed a number of comfort-food kugels including a chocolate sandwich cookie kugel. The result is a rich, satisfying and surprisingly not-too-sweet dessert.
“The filled cookies – think Oreo, Hydrox or Joe-Joe’s style cookies – undergo a magical alteration and pretty much absorb the kugel batter,” Kramer, author of “52 Shabbats: Friday Night Dinners Inspired by a Global Jewish Kitchen,” told The Journal. “Kids of all ages love this recipe.”
Kramer revealed that she started out trying to use cocoa-flavored pasta as base for a chocolate noodle pudding.
“The pasta was hard to source, and the resulting kugel was disappointing,” she said. “I tried again with thin chocolate wafer style cookies; they literally disappeared in the kugel.”
Then she had the idea to use filled chocolate sandwich cookies, and that is how this kugel came to be.
Chocolate Sandwich Cookie Kugel
Serves 12
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted, divided
30 chocolate sandwich cookies (or as needed to line bottom of pan) plus 6 (see note)
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
8 ounces sour cream, room temperature
1 cup milk
4 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp almond extract
3 Tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup crumbled chocolate sandwich cookies
Whipped cream or additional sour cream
1. Heat oven to 325°F.
2. Lightly brush 1 teaspoon of the melted butter inside a 9×13-inch baking pan. Line bottom of the pan with a single layer of cookies, breaking some to fill in any large gaps.
3. Mash softened cream cheese with sour cream until smooth. Add remaining butter, milk, eggs, almond extract, sugar and salt. Beat until smooth.
4. Pour mixture over cookies. Scatter chocolate chips evenly over top.
5. Place in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Rotate pan. Scatter cookie crumbs over top. Bake for an additional 15-25 minutes, until the custard top is firm and puffy and pulling away from the sides of the pan.
6. Let sit for 20 minutes.
7. Serve warm or at room temperature. Cut the remaining 6 cookies in half. Garnish each serving with a dollop of whipped or sour cream and half a cookie.
*Note: This recipe works with any chocolate sandwich cookie with filling. If using ones with a flavored filling, substitute vanilla extract (or other extract that compliments the filling) for the almond. It really doesn’t matter if you use generic or a brand name chocolate sandwich cookie. You can even choose a gluten-free variety, if needed.
