Date and Honey Kugel
Published September 29, 2024
Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
- Total Time
- 1 hour 10 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
20 pitted Medjool dates (about 15 ounces)
Salt
12 ounces wide egg noodles
8 tablespoons butter (dairy or nondairy; see Tip), cut into 1-tablespoon slices, plus more for greasing
Scant ½ cup/140 grams honey, plus more for topping
8 ounces cream cheese (dairy or nondairy; see Tip)
½ cup/120 grams milk (or oat milk; see Tip)
3 large eggs
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
89 grams carbs; 166 milligrams cholesterol; 608 calories; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 26 grams fat; 5 grams fiber; 446 milligrams sodium; 12 grams protein; 52 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Step 2
Add 14 pitted dates to a small bowl. Chop the remaining 6 dates and reserve for later. Pour about 1 cup of the boiling water over the 14 dates in the small bowl to cover them. Season the rest of the water in the pot with a big pinch of salt. Add the noodles and cook according to the package instructions.
- Step 3
Drain the noodles and cool in a colander. Rinse the pot you cooked the noodles in with cold water to cool.
- Step 4
Add 6 tablespoons butter to a blender, along with the honey, cream cheese, milk, eggs, cinnamon and cardamom. Drain the soaked dates and add them to the blender; blend until smooth. Add the all-purpose flour and a pinch of salt and blend again until smooth.
- Step 5
Add the warm noodles and the reserved chopped dates to the cooled cooking pot. Pour the date honey batter on top and mix using a silicone spatula to evenly coat the noodles in batter.
- Step 6
Lightly grease a deep, 8-inch round pan with butter. Add a little bit of flour and shake the pan so most of the butter gets coated in flour. Discard any excess flour from the pan, setting it upside down and tapping gently against your hand over a sink.
- Step 7
Add the noodle mixture and bake for about 35 minutes, until the batter is cooked through and has a golden color. Gently tap the center of the kugel to check doneness; it should be a little springy, without any visible liquid.
- Step 8
Remove the pan from the oven and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, brushing them over the surface of the kugel as they melt. Then drizzle about 1 tablespoon of honey on top. Turn the broiler on and broil the kugel for 1 to 2 minutes, until the noodles on top are crispy with a few brown edges. The honey can burn quickly, so keep an eye on the kugel to make sure it’s not charring.
- Step 9
Cool completely, in the fridge for a firm, chewy texture, or at room temperature for a creamier, softer texture. Top with more honey and slice to serve.
To make the kugel pareve (without dairy, meat or their derivatives), substitute cream cheese, butter and milk with non-dairy alternatives.
Private Notes
Comments
This looks great but wouldn't it be easier to remove after baking if made in a springform pan?
@Faye. Was thinking the same. But, if using a springform, suggest wrapping sides to base in foil, lest the custard leaks. Just sayin’…
I have eaten and baked my mother's noodle kugel for over 7 decades. Raisins instead of dates, cottage cheese instead of cream cheese. A 9" deep pie dish works well. Skip the springform pan because it will likely leak. For fancy serving, just cut and place on a plate, though we serve it warm from the pan.You can use sugar rather than honey. I cut sugar to 1/2 cup and still find it too sweet.
What a lovely, sweet, creamy kugel. Mine tasted very much like dates and honey (I saw someone complaining below that theirs didn't). We ate it warm, so I can't comment on the springy texture--it was more like a mac & cheese situation. What it lacked for my palate was tang; I'll try leftovers with sour cream. I forewent to extra butter and honey on top, as I thought it was rich and sweet enough. Made in a non-stick bundt pan and it came right out--cooked 45 minutes, the last 5 at 400 F.
Could you reverse step eight and step nine? I'm thinking a warm crusty top juxtaposed with a cool interior might be tasty.
sounds lovely--but what are appropriate non-dairy substitutes for cream cheese? Lactose free milk I've got, butter doesn't seem to be a problem, but I don't know about cream cheese. Late life lactose intolerance, not a need for pareve for me.
Try Green Valley's (https://greenvalleylactosefree.com) Lactose Free Cream Cheese, they also make sour cream and salted butter which make all the difference for our lactose averse household.