Diary of a Foodie

Pecan Kugel

Diary of a Foodie: Season Two: North Carolina: BBQ and Beyond

Serves16
  • Active Time:20 min
  • Start to Finish:2 hr
ADAPTED FROM MATZOH BALL GUMBO: CULINARY TALES OF THE JEWISH SOUTH BY MARCIE COHEN FERRIS
January 2008

For Topping:

  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 2 cups whole pecan halves

For Kugel:

  • 1 pound broad flat dried egg noodles
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1 (16-oz) container creamed (California-style) cottage cheese
  • 8 oz sour cream
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Make Topping:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
  • Heat butter in a 13- by 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish in preheating oven until melted, about 5 minutes. Cool to lukewarm in baking dish. Crumble brown sugar evenly over bottom of dish, pressing with a metal spatula to make an even layer. Arrange pecan halves, rounded sides down, in rows in brown sugar, pressing them in.

Make Kugel:

  • Cook noodles in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (3 tablespoons salt for 6 quarts water) until tender, then drain. Return noodles to pot and stir in butter until melted.
  • While noodles cook, whisk together cottage cheese, sour cream, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl.
  • Add buttered noodles to cottage-cheese mixture, tossing well. Pour slowly over pecans in baking dish and smooth top. Bake, covered with foil, until kugel is set, about 1 hour.
  • Uncover and bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes more. Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then run a thin knife around edges and invert onto a large platter. Cut kugel into squares with a serrated knife and serve warm.

Photograph by Romulo Yanes

Keywords
diary of a foodie,
dessert,
southern u.s.

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