KosherEye.com
Adapted from Pasta: Italian, Asian, American...and More: Food & Wine Books
There are many variations on this traditional Jewish pudding. In this one, our favorite sweet version, wide egg noodles are combine with creamy cheeses flavored with lemon and orange zest. The cheesecake-like mixture is studded with raisins and baked until crisp and golden – comfort food par excellence.
Ingredients:
1/2 pound wide egg noodles
5 tablespoons butter
1/2 pound farmer, pot or small-curd cottage cheese
1/2 pound cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9–inch square baking dish. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the noodles until tender but still slightly underdone, about 7 minutes. Drain. Transfer the noodles to a bowl and stir in 3 tablespoons of the butter.
Using an electric mixer set at medium speed, beat the farmer cheese, cream cheese, sour cream and 1/2 cup of the sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, lemon and orange zest, vanilla, salt and raisins. Stir the cheese mixture into the noodles and transfer to the baking dish.
Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. In a small bowl, combine the butter, the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and the bread crumbs. Sprinkle the mixture over the noodles. Bake until the top is golden and the center has set, 35 to 40 minutes.
Serve cut into squares, either warm or cooled.
Notes:
Yield: Serves 8
Citrus Zest: The thin, colorful outer layer of a citrus rind is called the zest. A terrific flavor enhancer, zest has a high concentration of aromatic oils and a more intense flavor than citrus juice. When grating zest, be careful not to remove any of the bitter-tasting white pith that lies just beneath it.
How to Make Breadcrumbs:You can use any type of bread to make breadcrumbs: white, whole wheat, rye, or sourdough. You'll get the best results if your bread is slightly stale; very fresh bread can turn gummy in the machine. If it isn't stale, put the slices of bread in a warm (300° to 350°F) oven until slightly crusty.
Remove the crusts from slices of bread, if desired, and tear slices into 1-inch pieces. Place bread in a food processor and blend until you reach the desired consistency: A mix of coarse and fine crumbs is ideal for most uses.
Make more than you need and store the crumbs in zip-top bags in the freezer; thaw them thoroughly before using. In a pinch, if you don't have a machine, rub slices or chunks of stale bread on a box grater.
Recipes: Side Dishes, Kugel, Cheese, Dairy, Kosher