Thanksgivukkah Watch: Pumpkin Custard Kugel

By Scott Kearnan for Zagat Boston


This is getting big - in Boston, anyway. Last week we took a look at Thanksgivukkah, November's unusual calendar alignment of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah, via Kitchen Kibitz: a new Jewish cuisine pop-up that's throwing an early celebration on November 10. But we've just scratched the surface of what's turning into quite a craze. Not only has Boston's Combined Jewish Philanthropies launched an entire website dedicated to the day, but it includes a new (hilarious) video with Mayor Menino promising that November 28 will be proclaimed "Thanksgivukkah Day" in Boston. As they say in the comments section: First!

Naturally, area restaurants are getting in on the action with Thanksgivukkah-apropos dishes. Among them is the pumpkin custard kugel chef Marjorie Druker is serving at the Modern Rotisserie annex of her New England Soup Factory in Newton. Druker shared the recipe for the dish, so at-home chefs can start celebrating early.

Pumpkin Custard Kugel

Ingredients:

1 pound of cooked wide egg noodles (slightly undercook noodles by 2 minutes)
1 stick of butter
16 oz. of cream cheese
1 pint of sour cream
1 15-oz. can of pumpkin purée
8 extra-large or jumbo eggs
1 3/4 cups of sugar
1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract
1 quart of whole milk
1/2 cup molasses
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon allspice

For topping:
3/4 cup of chopped pecans
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
2 tablespoons sugar

Directions:

In a mixing bowl whip together the butter and cream cheese. Add the sour cream, pumpkin purée and sugar, and mix again. Add the eggs one at a time, beating a little after each one. Add the milk, salt, molasses, nutmeg, ground cloves and allspice, and mix to incorporate the custard.

Place the cooked noodles in a large mixing bowl. Pour the custard over the noodles and mix well. Pour into a large baking dish that has been generously buttered. Place this dish in an even larger roasting pan and add water so that you create a water bath for the pudding. Add enough water so that it comes halfway up to the pan of kugel.

Sprinkle with the pecan and cinnamon topping and place in a 350 degree pre-heated oven for one hour uncovered. Remove from the oven and let rest a day before serving. Cut into pieces and warm up in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes before serving.