Crispy-Edge Muffin Tin Lokshen Kugel
לאָקשן קוגל·(LOK-shun KOO-gull)
Weekend Feasts & Holiday Gatherings
The smell of sweet, cinnamon-laced noodle kugel is a mainline to mid-century American Jewish nostalgia. When Eastern European immigrants arrived in the States, they adapted their humble, old-world casseroles to flaunt the astonishing abundance of the New World: rich sour cream, sweet butter, and curdy cottage cheese. But the perennial family war was always over who claimed the crispy corner pieces. This recipe eliminates the fight entirely. By baking the custard-soaked noodles in a heavily greased muffin tin—a trick borrowed from modern Israeli home kitchens—every single serving becomes a coveted, caramelized edge piece. It also drops the cooking time from an hour and a half to twenty-five minutes, making an ancestral classic highly viable on a Tuesday night.
Before you start
Plump the raisins.
Place the raisins in a small bowl, cover with hot tap water, and let them soak for 10 minutes before draining well.
Prepare the pan.
Generously grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin with softened butter or non-stick spray. Skip the paper liners; the noodles need to touch bare metal to fry.
Ingredients
- wide egg noodles1/2 lb
- eggs3 large
- full-fat sour cream1 cup
- small-curd cottage cheese1 cup
- granulated sugar1/2 cup
- granulated sugar1 tbsp
- unsalted butter1/4 cup
- pure vanilla extract1 tsp
- ground cinnamon1/2 tsp
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- dark or golden raisins1/2 cup
Method
- 01
Par-boil the noodles.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the egg noodles, and cook for exactly 4 to 5 minutes until just al dente. Drain, rinse briefly with cold water, and shake completely dry.
- 02
Build the custard.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, sour cream, cottage cheese, melted butter, 1/2 cup of the sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Leave the cottage cheese lumpy; those curds are essential for the final texture.
- 03
Fold and rest.
Stir the drained noodles and plumped raisins into the wet custard and let the mixture sit on the counter for 10 minutes. Don't rush this part. The undercooked noodles need time to drink in the dairy so the whole thing doesn't collapse into a watery mess in the oven.
- 04
Portion and bake.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Scoop the noodle mixture into the greased muffin cups, gently press down any rogue noodles so they don't burn, and sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of sugar evenly over the tops.
- 05
Bake to a crisp.
Bake on the middle rack for 25 to 28 minutes until the centers are set and the edges are deeply caramelized.
- 06
Cool and extract.
Let the mini kugels rest in the tin for 10 minutes to firm up, then run a butter knife around the edges and pop them out to serve.
Notes
Make it ahead of time.
These hold up beautifully. Bake them a day in advance, store in the fridge, and reheat in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes to restore the crispy edges.
Do not skimp on the fat.
Use full-fat sour cream and cottage cheese. Low-fat alternatives will compromise the custard's structural integrity and leave you with a sad, watery pudding.