Noodle Pudding: A “from scratch” Recipe

It has come to my attention that some readers did not appreciate the “recipe” aspect of my brownies (otherwise known as The Best Brownies in the World). My first response is: your loss, those brownies rock.

My second response is a conciliatory recipe for Noodle Pudding.

My mom found this recipe in a mystery paperback she was reading (tragically, I no longer know the title). The book called it “California Noodle Pudding.” We made a few substitutions and wound up with “Italian Noodle Pudding.” It was really good although I’d recommend letting it cool before eating it because it was kind of gross hot. It also was markedly better each day after the initial baking (cooking?).

Here’s the recipe for either Italian of California Noodle Pudding:

• 16 ounces wide egg noodles, cooked and drained
• 4 ounces of butter, cut in small pieces
• 1 pint sour cream
• 1 pound cottage cheese (for Italian pudding use 1 pound ricotta cheese instead)
• 6 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 6 ounces of dried apricots, cut in small pieces (for Italian pudding use 6 ounces of raisins instead)
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds (skip this for the Italian pudding)

Pour cooked noodles in a bowl (HINT: You are going to need really, really big bowls for this recipe!) and mix in butter pieces.

In a separate bowl mix the sour cream and cottage cheese (or ricotta cheese).

Add the beaten eggs and mix until blended.

Mix in vanilla and sugar.

Mix in the apricot pieces (or the raisins).

Combine mixture with the noodles.

Pour into a greased 9-by-13-inch pan.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 and bake 1 hours.

Yield: 12 servings