digest
Short Summary
Main recommendation: Make a creamy Passover pineapple kugel using Tempty whipped cream cheese, potato starch, and crushed pineapple, then bake it either as one 9-inch dish or as individual tins for a dessert presentation. The recipe is a one-bowl dish that Jamie Geller says is simple, sweet, and tropical, and it is designed to fit Passover restrictions.
Key Points
- The base is a one-bowl batter combining Tempty whipped cream cheese, sugar, eggs, potato starch, baking powder, crushed pineapple, oil, and vanilla.
- Potato starch replaces flour because flour is not used during Passover.
- Canola oil is not allowed on Passover, so the speaker recommends a neutral oil such as walnut or vegetable oil; she uses olive oil herself.
- The kugel can be served as a savory-sweet contrast by pairing a slice with extra cream cheese in a serving bowl.
- A ramekin version can be turned out and dressed up as an individual dessert with powdered sugar, whipped cream, and mint.
Details Worth Noting
- Concrete instructions:
- Combine 1/2 cup sugar with the Tempty cream cheese until mixed; reduce the sugar if you prefer less sweetness.
- Add 4 eggs, then gradually shake in about 3/4 cup (12 level tablespoons) potato starch while mixing.
- Add 1 teaspoon baking powder and one 12 oz can of crushed pineapple, then mix until combined. A slightly lumpy batter is fine.
- Add about 1/2 cup neutral-flavored oil (not canola) and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
- Grease a 9-inch pie plate or baking dish well with oil or cooking spray, pour in the batter, and reserve a little for ramekins if making individual portions.
- For individual kugels, pour into about 10 to 12 greased ramekins or disposable tins, filling almost to the top.
- Decorate with pineapple rings: one ring on each individual kugel, or concentric rings or a single center ring on the large kugel.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 to 50 minutes.
- For dessert presentation, flip a ramekin onto a plate and garnish with powdered sugar, a touch of whipped cream, and a sprig of mint.
- The speaker says the recipe was contributed by Toby Ash and featured in a Joy of Kosher magazine issue from Passover 2012.
- Tempty is described as a whipped cream cheese popular in New York City, valued for spreading on matzah without breaking it.
- The speaker notes that a whole pineapple can be cored instead of using canned rings.
Bottom Line
This is a quick, Passover-compliant pineapple dessert that works both as a family-sized baked dish and as individual, presentation-ready servings.
