Kugels and Yom Tov Specialties, Easy to Freeze

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Three delicious kugels and the decadent Hungarian Golden Dumpling Coffee Cake that’s worth all the effort.

Make life easier this Yom Tov season by filling your freezer with these easy side dishes. You’ll be grateful to have them ready for when you need them.

Specialty Yerushalmi kugel

Yerushalmi kugel is a very special dish. It’s not so easy and fast to prepare but it’s well worth the effort. This kugel originated in Chassidic circles in Eastern Europe where noodles and sugar were affordable thus delighting the family with a special dish for Shabbat and holidays.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound (400 grams) fine egg noodles
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 Tbs freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 4 large eggs

Directions

Lightly grease a tube pan or 9 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan with oil or non-stick cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit (180 Celsius).

This dish needs your full attention and patience, cook it too quick the sugar will burn, too slow and it will take forever. Be ever so careful not to burn yourself, and keep children away from the area you are working in.

In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to the package directions, taking care not to overcook add 1 tablespoon of oil to prevent the noodles from sticking. Set aside.

Place the sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat on medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon. Slowly the sugar will start to turn yellowish-brown and combine with the oil. If the sugar turns dark brown too quickly, turn the heat down. Stir until a bubbly, liquid caramel has formed. Then immediately pour caramel over cooked noodles and continue stirring until thoroughly blended.

Let cool for a few minutes. Then add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.

Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours in the preheated oven until nicely browned.

This kugel can be served hot, warm or cold.

Vegetable Kugel

Preparation 15 minutes
Serves 10-12

Ingredients

  • 2-3 carrots
  • 2 stalks celery
  • 2 zucchini
  • 2 potatoes
  • 1 parsnip
  • 1 large onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 3 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 3/4 cup oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Oil an 8x11 inch glass baking pan.
In a food processor, grate the carrots, celery, zucchini, potatoes, parsnip, onion and garlic. Place the chopped vegetables in a large bowl.

Stir in the lightly beaten eggs. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper, and mix well. Add the oil.

Pour the kugel batter into the baking dish. Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes, or until the kugel is cooked through and browned on top.

Honey Carrot Kugel

Preparation 20 minutes
Serves 8 to 10

Sweetened with honey and brightened with lemon zest, this carrot kugel is reminiscent of carrot cake but can still hold its own as a side dish for savory fare. Whipped egg whites lighten the texture and make this less pudding-like than many vegetable kugels. Bake the kugel in loaf pans for easy freezing, muffin tins for individual servings, or a Bundt pan for a pretty presentation on special occasions. This recipe freezes well.

Ingredients

  • 8 medium carrots, shredded
  • 4 large eggs, separated
  • 1 cup honey
  • 1/3 cup canola oil
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tsp grated lemon zest (from about 1 lemons) optional
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease either two loaf pans, two 12-cup muffin tins, or a Bundt pan.

Using a food processor fitted with a shredding disc or a box grater, finely shred the carrots.

In a large bowl, use electric beaters, a manual rotary beater, or a wire whisk to beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

Place the shredded carrots into another large bowl. Add the egg yolks, honey, oil, vanilla, and lemon zest.

Mix well.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour(s) and baking powder. Add the flour mixture into the carrot batter and mix just until smooth. Stir in the raisins if using.
Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the kugel batter in 3 additions. Pour or spoon the kugel mixture into the prepared pan(s).

Bake the kugel in the preheated oven until firm, golden, and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes for muffins, 35 to 40 minutes for loaf pans, or 45 to 50 minutes for a Bundt pan.

Baked Rice Pudding

Preparation 15 minutes
Serves 8-10

Sweet and tasty and ready in minutes this rice pudding is an all-time favorite for Yom Tov or any time of year.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked rice
  • 3 cups Almond milk
  • 1/2 cup honey or sugar
  • 3 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 1 tsp vanilla sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon divided
  • 1 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the rice, Almond milk, and honey. Add the eggs, then stir in the raisins and half the cinnamon.
Place the mixture in a well-greased 2-quart baking dish and bake for about 1 hour, or until golden. Sprinkle with some cinnamon. Cool before serving.

Note alternatively you can bake rice pudding in cupcake tins for handy individual portions

Makes 8-10 cupcakes

Hungarian Golden Dumpling Coffee Cake (Aranygaluska)

Serves 16

This traditional Hungarian dessert consists of many sugary balls of coffee cake dough, studded with raisins and coated with cinnamon and nuts in a syrup-like glaze on the outside. It’s beyond decadent. In English it is called monkey bread.

This recipe is not a quick one. Yeast is used in the dough, so it does take 2 1/2-3 hours for the dough to rise. This does freeze well for later use.

We usually serve this on Simchat Torah. In our family we enjoy this cake so much that we all long all year for it to be served. It’s worth the effort and will add a special flare to your Yom Tov meal.

Ingredients

  • 5 cups flour, sifted
  • 1⁄2 cup warm water
  • 4 1⁄2 tsp active dry yeast
  • 1⁄2 cup warm water (110-115 F)
  • 1⁄2 cup shortening
  • 1⁄2 cup sugar
  • 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 eggs, well beaten
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3⁄4 cup walnuts, finely chopped (about 3 ounces)
  • 1 1⁄2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1⁄2 cup sweet butter, melted
  • 1⁄2 cup raisins (about 2.5 ounces)

Directions

Soften yeast in warm water and let stand 5-10 minutes until it starts bubbling.

In a large bowl, combine shortening, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt, then immediately pour warm water over mixture.

While mixture is warm, mix in 1/2 cup flour and beat until dough is smooth.

Stir the yeast, then add it to the dough, mixing well.

Add half of the remaining flour and beat until dough is very smooth.

Beat in the eggs and enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough.

Turn dough out on lightly floured surface and let rest 5-10 minutes.

Knead by folding opposite side over towards you, then using the heels of your hands to push the dough away, then give it a quarter turn and repeat process until smooth and elastic (5-10 minutes) (always turn the dough in the same direction and use as little additional flour as possible).

Form dough into a large ball and place in a greased bowl.

Turn the ball over so that the surface on the top is greased and cover bowl with waxed paper and a towel.

Let rise in warm place (80°F) until doubled in bulk (1 1/2-2 hours).

Punch dough down with fist, pull the edges into the center, and turn ball over inside the bowl.

Cover bowl and let dough rise until nearly doubled again in bulk.

Meanwhile, lightly grease the bottom of a 10-inch tube pan.

In a shallow dish combine 1 cup sugar, nuts, and cinnamon and set aside.

Place oil in another shallow dish and set aside.

Tear off bits of dough and form into balls 1-1 1/4-inch in diameter (about the size of walnuts). Alternatively roll out dough and use a schnapps cup to form round pieces of dough.

Roll balls first in oil, then lightly in the cinnamon mixture.

Arrange a layer of balls in the bottom of the pan so that they don't touch each other.

Sprinkle about 1/3 of the raisins over the balls and gently press into the dough.

Continue this process until all of the dough is formed into balls and arranged in the pan and all of the raisins have been used up.

Sprinkle any remaining oil and cinnamon mixture over the top layer.

Cover pan with waxed paper and towel and let dough rise until light (30-45 minutes).

Bake at 375°F until golden brown (35-40 minutes).

Run spatula around sides of pan and invert onto a plate.

To serve, everyone helps themselves to balls that they break off the cake with their fingers, or feel free to cut slices with a knife.

Ready in 3 hours with the rising. This is a real specialty cake that is prepared only for VERY special occasions.

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