Apple Cinnamon Noodle Kugel

Happy New Year! Tonight is Rosh Hashana, or the Jewish New Year. (Jewish holidays begin at sunset.) Shana Tovah!

I made an apple cinnamon noodle kugel (also known as noodle pudding) this morning to celebrate. A noodle pudding is basically a cheesecake with egg noodles in it. Weird? Yes! And it gets even stranger when you consider that this dish is typically served as a side along with beef brisket. This is how I was introduced to kugel by my grandmother. Of course, I loved it instantly. (NOTE: this is NOT a low-calorie dish!!!)

Some folks prefer a savory kugel with onions but that just seems odd to me, as I have only ever eaten sweet kugel. Today's version is on the sweet side, contains dried fruit, fresh apples, lots of cinnamon, and two kinds of cheese. Apples and cheese are a great combination! And apples are traditionally eaten on Rosh Hashana because they are round, which symbolizes the circle of the year, and sweet. Sweet foods (like honey) are eaten to celebrate the sweetness of the year to come.

Ingredients:

8 TB grassfed butter
1 pound wide egg noodles
salt to taste
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 pound cottage cheese
8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. sour cream
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teas. vanilla
2 teas. cinnamon
2 apples, chopped
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup craisins (dried cranberries)
1/4 cup chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, or almonds)

Preheat oven to 350F. Boil 3-4 quarts of salted water and add noodles, stirring occasionally, until cooked. (About 9 minutes.) Drain noodles and set aside.

Place butter in 9x13 baking pan and place pan in oven. Let butter melt completely, then remove pan from oven. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, except for nuts. Mix well then pour batter into pan. Sprinkle extra cinnamon and nuts on top.

Bake for about 1 hour or until golden and bubbling. Serve warm or cold. Can serve as a side dish, dessert, breakfast, or brunch treat! Makes at least 8 hearty servings, probably more.