KosherEye.com
by Tina Wasserman, Cooking & More
I often refer to this kugel as "killer kugel" and when you see the ingredients you'll know why!!! Actually, I served this dish to Joan Nathan when she was at my home and a few years back she featured it in her article in the New York Times! The readers liked it so much that the Times often prints it again around the holidays. Easy to make and absolutely delicious. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1/2 pound medium width noodles (see Tina's Tidbits)
1 pound cream cheese
1/2 pound butter
1 cup sugar
1 pint sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 eggs
1 small can mandarin oranges, drained
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained
4 ounces walnuts
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 Tablespoons butter
Directions:
Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and place in a 4 quart bowl.
Combine the cream cheese and the butter in the processor workbowl and blend until smooth. Scrape down sides of workbowl. Add the sugar and process until well combined. Add the sour cream, the vanilla, and eggs and process until well mixed. Pour into the 4 quart bowl with the noodles.
Stir the fruits in by hand and then pour mixture into a buttered 13 x 9 Pyrex dish. The mixture will almost overflow. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
When ready to bake, uncover and place in a preheated 350F oven and bake for 50 minutes.
Combine the walnuts with the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on top of the kugel. Dot with the remaining butter and bake for 20 minutes more. Serve warm or at room temperature. This could be made totally in advance, but it won't be as light.
Notes:
Yield: 15 or more servings
Tina's Tidbits:
▪ Large noodles will be more visible in this kugel but will provide a more cheesecake-like consistency in some areas. Medium noodles will be distributed more uniformly. Either way this is delicious.
▪ The easiest way to dot butter is to freeze a stick of butter and then grate it over the top of your casserole.
▪ Refrigerating the mixture overnight allows the butter and cream cheese to solidify around the eggs and sour cream. This creates a mixture that will trap the air and puff up better when baked.
▪ If you don't want to use nuts, try crushing cocoa crisp cereal, sprinkling it on top of the kugel, and then dotting it with butter. The original recipe, given to me over forty years ago, used this topping, but I can't teach it or I would lose my credibility!
Recipes: Side Dishes, Noodle Kugel, Cheese, Dairy, Kosher