Squash Kugel(ettes)

I gave my Nordicware rose cakelet pan one more wack and sent a prayer heavenward for the quick release of the mini squash kugels clinging tenaciously to this beautiful pan. They were stuck tight in the deep crevices and flourishes of the cake form and it appeared as if I was never going to be able to pry them out, when I heard a quiet little “thunk”. One kugelette had escaped. Only fifteen more left to go. This sweet and creamy squash kugel recipe is from Gatherings : Creative Kosher Cooking from Our Families to Yours, a project by the parents of Netivot HaTorah Day School.

Squash Kugel(ettes)

Kugel, one of the iconic foods of the Ashkenazi canon, was first seen in Jewish kitchens in Germany around the 12th century. Kugel, meaning sphere or ball in German, was a dumpling cooked in a rounded ceramic pot, called a kugeltopf, that gave the dish its name. Over time, this dumpling became its own sort of pudding. Steamed, poached or baked, this Sabbath meal accompaniment became a fixture of the Jewish week. The kugel North Americans eat today is a product of our particular time and place and the variations of kugel are practically endless. The Jewish-food KUGEL Archives has an incredible 231 taste-tempting variations of this dish including: apple challah, salt and pepper, cheddar cheese, and chocolate chip. Whatever type of kugel is your preference, I know that this vibrant butternut squash kugel is going to be included among your most often requested holiday favorites. Bake it as a single large casserole or as mini cakes or muffins, it will be a welcome addition to your menu in every shape and size.

Assemble your ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Slice a medium sized butternut squash vertically through the stem end. Remove the seeds with a spoon and place the two halves of squash cut side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 F. for 45-60 minutes until you can pierce the flesh easily with a knife. Allow the squash to cool and scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Mash it with a fork or potato masher. Set aside. 

Thoroughly grease a Bundt pan or a 9X13 inch pan or muffin pans. I recommend using a cooking spray with flour for the Bundt pan or muffin pans. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set the mixture aside. Using a mixer, cream together the margarine and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time. Add the almond milk and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and finally the mashed squash, continuing to beat the mixture just until the flour disappears. Pour into the prepared pan(s) and top with a sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour until done. A tester should come out with moist crumbs clinging to it. 

Allow the Bundt cake or muffins to cool for 20 minutes before gently removing them from the pan.

Print Recipe

Squash Kugel(ettes)

Vegetables and Sides

By Gatherings : Creative Kosher Cooking from our Families to Yours – Serves: 10-12

Prep Time: 60 minutes – Cooking Time: 45 minutes – Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Sweet and creamy squash kugel with a thin, crispy crust will be a much requested addition to your fall holiday table.

Ingredients

• 1 (3 pound) butternut squash
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons margarine
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• Cinnamon sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

1

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Slice the butternut squash vertically through the stem end. Using a spoon, remove the seeds. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place both halves of butternut squash cut-side down on the baking sheet. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45 minutes to an hour until the flesh of the squash is pierced easily with the point of a knife. Allow the squash to cool. Remove the flesh of the squash. Mash with a fork or potato masher and set aside.

2

Mix together 1/3 cup of granulated sugar and one teaspoon of cinnamon. Set this mixture aside.

3

Thoroughly grease a Bundt pan OR 9 X 13 inch pan OR individual muffin pans. (I use a baking spray with flour to grease the Bundt pan or muffin pans.)

4

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.

5

Using a mixer with a flat beater, or a hand-held mixer, cream the margarine and sugar together on medium speed. Add the eggs one at a time. Add the almond milk and vanilla.

6

Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the reserved dry ingredients. Add the mashed squash and continue mixing until combined.

7

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the top of the kugel(ettes) with the cinnamon and sugar mix. Bake on the middle rack of the preheated oven for 45 minutes to an hour. A tester inserted into the kugel will have moist crumbs clinging to it.

8

Allow the kugel to cool for 15-20 minutes before gently removing from the baking pan.

9

Serve warm or at room temperature.