Cranberry-Orange Noodle Kugel

KUGEL CHALLENGE II

Just because Rosh Hashanah is over doesn’t mean I’m no longer thinking about kugel. Good food memories linger and besides, I always serve kugel for my Yom Kippur break-the-fast — the Linda/Susan recipe I mentioned last week — so I still have noodle pudding on the brain.

I know that ultra-rich and crunchy topped version is coming next Saturday night, so in the meantime, in between holidays, I like to tinker with different recipes.

My mother was an “if a recipe works why fix it?” person. But I can’t help myself. I experiment a lot to see what happens if you add this or that. Not necessarily to make it better. Just different.

I came up with this one, Cranberry-Orange, a traditional kugel with a contemporary twist. It’s sweet, tender in the middle and crunchy on top. 

Cranberry-Orange Noodle Kugel

1 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup orange juice

1 pound wide egg noodles

1/4 pound butter, melted

6 large eggs

2 cups cottage cheese

1-1/2 cups dairy sour cream

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons grated fresh orange rind

1/8 teaspoon salt

Place the cranberries in a bowl and pour the orange juice over them. Let soak for at least 30 minutes. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9”x13” baking dish. Cook the noodles al dente (not quite done). Drain the noodles and place them in a large bowl. Pour in the melted butter and stir to coat all the noodles with the butter. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream, sugar, cinnamon, orange rind and salt. Mix thoroughly. Spoon the cheese mixture over the noodles and toss to coat all the noodles. Add the cranberries and any remaining juice. Mix in. Place the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake for about 40 minutes or until the top is browned and crunchy. Makes 8-10 servings

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Kugel Challenge

Rosh Hashanah = kugel. Really, old fashioned, traditional kugel has got to be one of the most popular dishes for the Jewish holidays, even for people who on all other days would prefer things like crispy fish with yuzu dipping sauce or grilled chicken with kumquat and papaya relish.

But what kind? Kugels come all ways.

Basically though, they’re either sweet or savory.

My mother always told me that sweet, dairy kugels weren’t very good. In our house the kugels were salty and crispy and filled with juicy mushrooms and soft, golden onions. I never had a sweet kugel until I was fully grown and married and went to my friend Susan’s house and tasted one. OH MY GOODNESS it was so good that when I woke up the next morning, before I even poured my coffee I called my mother to yell at her.

What was she thinking?! This stuff is really really really delicious.

I published Susan’s recipe in several of my food articles over the years, attributing it to her of course, although I have since learned that Susan got it from Linda, who got it from someone else … The recipe hasn’t exactly gone viral on YouTube, but it is well known throughout my community.

Hear this, anyone who likes egg noodles and stuff like cream cheese with sugar and butter and sour cream and crispy cornflake crunchy toppings — try this and let me know if you’ve ever tasted a better kugel!

If you have, can you please send me the recipe??

Susan/Linda’s Sweet Noodle Kugel

• 1 pound wide egg noodles
• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese at room temperature
• 1/4 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups dairy sour cream
• 6 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup raisins, optional
• 2 cups crushed frosted corn flakes (or plain corn flakes)
• 4 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook the noodles in lightly salted water until al dente (not quite done). Drain and set aside. In an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until thoroughly blended. Add the sour cream and blend it in completely. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in the cinnamon and raisins, if used. Pour the mixture over the noodles and toss to coat all the noodles. Place in a 9”x13” baking dish. Combine the frosted flakes and melted butter. Sprinkle the coated flakes on top of the noodle mixture. Bake for about 40 minutes or until the top is crispy. Makes 8 servings

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