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Recipe: Tu Bishvat challah kugel with dried cherries and almonds

Tu Bishvat challah kugel with dried cherries and almonds.
(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
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Tu Bishvat challah kugel with dried cherries and almonds

Total time: 2 hours


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Servings: 6

Note: If you like, serve each portion of the kugel with a spoonful of sour cream and a few dried cherries. Instead of using almond milk, you can prepare this kugel with milk or soy milk.

6 ounces (4 thick slices or 1/4 of a 24-ounce challah) day-old or stale challah (egg bread)

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2 cups almond milk

1/2 cup sugar, divided

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided

1 large apple (about 1/2 pound), such as Fuji or Golden Delicious

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (from about 1 lemon)

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup dried cherries, halved if large

1/3 cup finely chopped almonds

1/4 cup sliced almonds

2 tablespoons butter, cut in small bits

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 6-cup baking dish.

2. Leave the top crust on the bread if you like it. Remove the remaining crust. Cut the bread in bite-size cubes and put them in a medium bowl; you should have about 4 1/2 cups.

3. In a small saucepan bring the almond milk to a simmer. Remove from heat and pour the hot milk over the bread. Stir to moisten all the pieces. Set aside until the bread absorbs most of the milk, about 7 minutes.

4. In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon sugar with one-half teaspoon cinnamon. Reserve this to use as the topping.

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5. Peel and quarter the apple. Cut the core from each piece, and slice each piece crosswise into very thin slices; you will have about 1 1/2 cups.

6. Whisk the eggs with the remaining 7 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl. Add the lemon zest, salt and remaining one-half teaspoon cinnamon and whisk to blend.

7. Mash the bread with a fork. Stir in the egg mixture; the batter may look separated, but it will come together later. Stir in the apple pieces, cherries and chopped almonds. Mix well.

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8. Transfer the batter to the baking dish. Sprinkle it with the sliced almonds, then with the reserved cinnamon-sugar mixture. Scatter the butter pieces over the top.

9. Bake the kugel until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, about 45 minutes. Cool for about 5 minutes before serving. Serve it hot or warm.

Each serving: 336 calories; 8 grams protein; 49 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams fiber; 13 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 95 mg cholesterol; 30 grams sugar; 264 mg sodium.

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