Yom Kippur, of course, is not a holiday for eating. Quite the opposite. But if you attend a “break-the-fast” like I do, this fabulous noodle kugel, is a great dish to serve the famished. It comes from my husband’s grandmother Reba, a terrific Jewish cook. For years, she refused to give me the recipe. Then, about a year before she died, she relented. Maybe she knew it was time to pass on some family secrets.

This recipe is different than most noodle kugels. The secret to creating the dish is choosing very fine noodles. Using them instead of the wide ones yields a light, almost souffle-like concoction. When it’s not a holiday, I serve this egg-rich dish for brunch.

Note: Reba didn’t measure, so these amounts are approximate.

Reba’s Kugel

12 oz. fine noodles
7 eggs
1lb. whole milk cottage cheese
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 large container sour cream
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
1/2 tsp. lemon

For topping:

1 stick melted unsalted butter
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. Cinnamon
2 c breadcrumbs

Cook noodles and drain. Add cottage cheese, sugar, vanilla, sour
cream, lemon rind and lemon and beat with a mixer or food processor until well
combined and the noodles are chopped into small pieces. Pour into 9×13 inch
buttered pan. Mix topping ingredients and spoon over kugel. Bake at
350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The kugel should be set and jiggle
when you gently shake the pan.

Related posts:

1. Yom Kippur Break-the-Fast Recipe: The Best Noodle Kugel
2. Kerry or Kugel
3. Review and Recipe: Melissa Clark’s In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite–and Her Break-the-Fast Salmon