Rhubarb Matzo Kugel

I always enjoy finding interesting recipes using rhubarb. I found this one on an aggregate site called “astray recipes”. It was originally posted to EAT-L Digest by Marie Whitman in 1997. I had never tasted or made anything quite like this before. Broccoli Kugel was the extent of my kugel-making attempts prior to this. And I do love Broccoli Kugel. I’m going to estimate that this recipe makes 16 servings. I’d call it a dessert, but it would make a nice breakfast, too.

Chop rhubarb and dried cherries. Place rhubarb, dried cherries, raisins, and 1/2 cup sugar into a large saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the rhubarb is soft and most of the liquid has evaporated.

Nearly boiling.

This is what Matzos are. I had to hunt for them in my grocery store, but they were there. The recipe calls for 5 Matzos and this box has two packages of 5 Matzos each. Someone was thinking!

Crumble Matzos and cover with warm water. Soak until soft.

Squeeze as much excess liquid as you can. I did not have much excess.

Beat eggs, yes 9 of them!!! Add remaining 1/2 cup sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. Continue beating until well blended.

The recipe calls for 6 Granny Smith apples. I thought it would be way too much. It wasn’t. It was just the right amount. Stir together all the ingredients and pour or scoop into a 4-quart prepared pan.

Pour melted butter over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar topping. I used a 10×15″ baking pan. The size is perfect and the bake-time was just right. I’m going to assume that if you use a deeper, rounded, dish your baking time will be longer. Please excuse the look of my pan. I use it to roast spaghetti squash and it’s going to be stained forever.

Bake until firm. Mine took about an hour. The two of us ate this for days. I kept it refrigerated, but not covered. It was firm enough to eat by hand, but a plate and fork works, too. There is not much rhubarb flavor, but the dried cherries jump out of each mouthful. I really liked this. It would make a great potluck dessert.

Recipe:

1 lb. rhubarb, sliced

1/2 cup chopped dried cherries

1/2 cup seedless raisins

1 cup sugar, divided

5 Matzos

Warm water

9 eggs

1 tsp. salt

1 pinch nutmeg

1 pinch cardamom

1 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 cup almonds, chopped

6 Granny Smith apples, shredded

1-1/2 Tbsp. orange zest

1/4 cup melted butter

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/3 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 4-quart baking dish by buttering, greasing, or spraying with non-stick spray.

Place rhubarb, dried cherries, raisins, and 1/2 cup sugar into large saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat until the rhubarb is soft and most of the liquid from the fruit has evaporated.

Crumble Matzos into a bowl and cover with warm water. Soak until soft. Squeeze dry.

Beat eggs. Add 1/2 cup sugar, salt, and spices. Continue beating until well blended.

Stir Matzos, almonds, apples, orange zest, and rhubarb mixture into the egg mixture.

Pour mixture into prepared dish. Pour melted butter over the top. Stir together 1 tsp. cinnamon with 1/3 cup sugar and sprinkle it over the top.

Bake until firm, about an hour.