Cherry Noodle Kugel

Surprisingly easy to make, this festive baked pudding will wow your guests. As a time saver, you may replace the cherry topping with a prepared vegan cherry pie filling.

Serves 16

What You Need For The Pudding:

• 1 cup soymilk
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 8 ounces fettuccini, broken in half
• 3 12.3-ounce packages silken tofu (not lite)
• 1/4 cup vegan cream cheese
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegan margarine
• 1 tablespoon egg replacer
• 1 tablespoon vanilla

What You Need For The Topping:

• 1 16-ounce can unsweetened pie cherries
• 1 cup sliced dried apricots
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon cold water

What You Do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, add lemon juice to soymilk and set aside. Cook noodles according to package directions. Rinse thoroughly with cold water, and set aside, rinsing from time to time, until ready to assemble.
2. In food processor, place tofu and blend until smooth. Add cream cheese and sugar and process. Add remaining pudding ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour tofu mixture into 9 x 13-inch glass baking pan, add cooked noodles, and mix thoroughly. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, place cherries and apricots. Add sugar and almond extract and bring to a low boil, stirring occasionally. In a small bowl, blend cornstarch with water and add to cherry mixture. Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Uncover pudding and spread topping evenly over it. Return to oven and bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes. Serve warm or cold. Cover and refrigerate leftovers.