Sweet Noodle Kugel with Raisins and Cinnamon
Inspired by techniques from NYT Cooking, Serious Eats and America's Test Kitchen.
A sweet baked pudding of egg noodles and plumped raisins set in a creamy cinnamon custard, golden and crisp on top.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 175°C (155°C fan) at least 20 minutes ahead, and brush the baking dish with 15 g of the melted butter.
- 2
Cook the noodles. Bring 4 litres of water to the boil with the 20 g salt and cook the egg noodles to the packet time, until fully tender - they won't cook any further once baked, so the custard simply sets around them.
- 3
Drain over the raisins. Put the raisins in a colander and drain the hot noodles straight over them. The heat and moisture from the noodles plump the raisins up as they sit.
- 4
Make the custard. Blend or whisk together the eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream, sugar, milk, cinnamon, lemon zest, salt and 40 g of the melted butter until smooth. Blending gives a silkier custard, while whisking by hand will leave soft curds of cheese running through it - either works, depending on the texture you want.
- 5
Combine and assemble. Stir the drained noodles and raisins into the custard, then spread the mixture into the prepared dish. Press down gently so most of the noodles are submerged, and drizzle the remaining melted butter over the top.
- 6
Bake. Set the dish on a rimmed baking tray and bake for 50-60 minutes, until the custard is fully set with no wobble in the centre (an instant-read thermometer should read 71°C) and the top noodles are golden and crisp in spots.
- 7
Cool and serve. Cool the kugel on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before cutting, which lets the custard firm up enough to hold neat slices. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Storage
Keeps covered in the fridge for up to 4 days, or can be frozen in portions for up to 2 months. Reheat gently in a low oven or microwave until piping hot, or simply serve at room temperature. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Equipment
- large pot (at least 5 litres)
- colander
- blender or large bowl and whisk
- baking dish about 23 x 33 cm
- rimmed baking tray
- instant-read thermometer
- wire rack
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 397 kcal |
| Protein | 14.5 g |
| Carbohydrate | 46.1 g |
| of which sugars | 20.1 g |
| of which free sugars | 10 g |
| Fat | 17.7 g |
| of which saturates | 8.8 g |
| Fibre | 1.7 g |
| Salt | 1.01 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
3.7 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
