While Juniper may be a clumsy cook, her sister Azalea is a culinary genius, especially at keeping alive the East European Jewish recipes of their late grandmother, Nana Z. Here are some of the recipes explored in the Rare Books Cozy Mystery series.
Ingredients:
8 ounces wide egg noodles
4 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 cups cottage cheese
2 cups sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1/4 cup cornflakes OR 1/2 cup apple chips (optional, for topping, see recipe below)
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Cook the egg noodles according to the package instructions until they are al dente. Drain and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together until well combined.
Stir in the melted butter, cottage cheese, sour cream, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and salt. Mix until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
Fold in the cooked noodles and raisins (if using).
Pour the mixture into the greased baking dish. If desired, sprinkle cornflakes evenly over the top.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 45-50 minutes, or until the kugel is set and the top is golden brown.
Allow the kugel to cool slightly before serving. It can be served warm or at room temperature.
Optional: Apple Chips
Ingredients
2 firm, medium sized apples (I used Granny Smith and Honeycrisp to mix the sweet and slightly tart)
1/3 (approximate) granulated sugar
1 tbsp (approximate) cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg (to taste)
Pinch of cardamom (to taste)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 225
Select apples of your choice
Wash, core, and thinly slice (I used a mandolin to get the super thin cuts)
Mix together sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom in a shallow bowl
Dip one side of each apple in the sugar mix and place them sugar side up in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake for 1 ½ - 2 hours until crisp.
Chop lightly into large flakes
Note on spices: A light pinch of cardamom (just a pinch or two over the whole batch) will help accentuate the flavor of the cinnamon, and just a pinch or two of nutmeg adds a little depth to the flavors as well. Like all spices, this is really ‘to taste’
Thank you to Kristen H. for helping me bring this recipe to life!
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