Warning: If you are dieting or don’t eat carbs do not look at this recipe.
If a fried macaroni and cheese ball met a zeppoli and then converted to Judaism, their baby would be one of these fried kugel balls. They are sweet, gooey, crunchy on the outside with just a slight bit of saltiness that I think is pretty divine.
I recommend topping with a light dusting of powdered sugar for an over-the-top touch. This was a suggestion from my friend Sara, and she was right. Her son and my daughter served as adorable taste-testers for this recipe.
Notes: You can use this method for any sweet kugel recipe your family likes–with raisins, cinnamon, thin noodles, whatever. The recipe will take a fair bit of time because you need to chill the kugel overnight, or at least 4-6 hours. If the kugel isn’t properly chilled, the balls will not hold their shape while frying. Yields two dozen kugel balls.
Watch how to make them here:
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INGREDIENTS
For the sweet dairy kugel:
1 12 oz package wide egg noodles
4 eggs
½ cup sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
8 oz full fat sour cream
10 oz canned, crushed pineapple (drained)
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp salt
2 eggs
1 Tbsp milk
4 cups cornflakes, crushed
Vegetable oil for frying
Sea salt
Powdered sugar (optional)
DIRECTIONS
To make the kugel:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a deep, square baking dish (8×8 or 9×9). If your baking dish not a square, the kugel will be too thin and you won’t be able to scoop the kugel into balls.
2. Cook noodles according to directions (around 8-10 minutes). Drain and use right away.
3. Place butter in a large bowl. Add hot noodles right on top and allow the butter to melt.
4. In another bowl, whisk eggs, sugar and vanilla together. Pour mixture on top of noodles and mix. Add sour cream, crushed pineapple and salt and mix again.
5. Pour noodle mixture into greased baking dish. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until just golden on top. Place in fridge overnight.
To assemble and fry:
1. Using a medium or large size cookie scoop, form chilled kugel into balls. Place on a baking sheet or place and put into freezer or fridge for 20-30 minutes. This will help them keep their shape when frying.
2. Heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep pan. Kugel balls don’t need to be completely submerged in oil, just about halfway.
3. Crush cornflakes into crumbs and place in a bowl. In another bowl combine eggs and 1 Tbsp milk.
4. Remove kugel balls from freezer. Dip into egg mixture, the cornflake crumbs. Fry balls in oil, about 1 minute each side until golden brown.
5. Place fried kugel balls on a paper towel lined plate to remove excess grease. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt while still hot.
6. Top with powdered sugar if desired. Serve while warm.
