Pennsylvania Dutch Apricot Noodle Pudding

Mother’s Day without my mother is a difficult day. It comforts me to spend time working in the garden, remembering where my mother was so content. In the past five years since she died, I have made this a tradition, planting something special in her memory. This year, it was basil plants in the herb garden and four new tubs of spring flowers on our deck.

Last Sunday, I felt I needed a little more comfort after all that gardening – in the form of dessert. I remembered how Mama used to make this apricot noodle pudding, a Pennsylvania Dutch recipe she used to prepare for our family when I was young. I made it off my mother’s dented and smeared recipe card, adding only a pinch of cardamom and some vanilla to put my signature on it. When the pudding began to brown a bit too quickly, I played with both the cooking time and the oven temperature.

It is times like this that I wonder what my mother would have thought about my food blog, a tribute to her cooking lessons and kitchen memories. Would she realize how she still guides me, even now, in the remodeled kitchen she never set foot in?

Serves 6-8

• 8 ounces egg noodles (half of a one-pound bag)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 12-ounce jar apricot preserves
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (plus extra for greasing baking dish)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain in colander.

3. Using a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together.

4. Add the cooked noodles, apricot preserves, sour cream, cottage cheese, raisins, melted butter, vanilla, cinnamon and cardamom. Mix well.

5. Turn into a 2-quart buttered baking dish. Sprinkle a little cinnamon on top.

6. Bake 35 minutes. Serve warm or chilled.