Jews spend the holiday of Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement) praying, meditating, and abstaining from both food and liquid. At sunset, most people are so hungry they'd happily sit down to a nice bowl of carrots. But no Jewish mother would put up with that. So, the day usually culminates in a joyful "break-fast" meal with family and friends.
While Sephardic families prefer to follow the fast with carb-filled snacks and savory meats, Ashkenazi Jews have made bagels, lox, and whitefish the mainstays of their traditional meal.
In modern times, the Yom Kippur break-fast has expanded to include a much wider range of dishes, and some break-fasts are downright extravagant. But, the tried-and-true Jewish-brunch theme still dominates most holiday tables.
About ten years ago, I brought a sweet-kugel I made from a wonderful little cookbook called America Cooks Kosher to share at my congregation's Yom Kippur break-fast. It was such a hit, I've had to make it every year since then. You don't have to be Jewish to love this recipe—give it a try!
Ingredients
- 1 pound egg noodles
- 1 pint sour cream
- 6 eggs, slightly beaten
- 1 1/2 packages (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 2 tsp. lemon juice
- 1 can (16 ounce) crushed pineapple in heavy syrup
- 2 cups sugar (divided)
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted (divided)
- 2 cups crushed corn flakes
Preparation
- Grease a 13"x9"x2" pan.
- Boil noodles and drain. Add sour cream, eggs, cream cheese, vanilla, lemon juice, pineapple, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and 3/4 cups butter.
- Pour mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle the corn-flake crumbs and remaining 1/2 cup sugar over the mixture. Drizzle the remaining 4 tablespoons melted butter on top.
- Refrigerate overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325° F.
- Bake for 1 hour, 30 minutes.
Gut Yontif!