*Award-Winning* Noodle Kugel

Yes, it is that good. I entered it in an online group's holiday food contest and it came in first place. Okay, okay, so there were only eight other entries, two of which were vegetable side dishes that included canned ingredients (potato sticks and onion rings)...It won!

I usually make it for a holiday buffet table where a roast beef or baked ham is center stage. It also is brilliant reheated in the microwave on Christmas morning, and on those lazy self-indulging weekends when you'd love to have brunch out if only it didn't require getting dressed and leaving the house:

George Foreman Grill [*the award that it won]

1 lb. broad or wide egg noodles
½ lb. butter
½ lb. Philadelphia brand cream cheese
1 pint sour cream
5 eggs, separated
½ cup of granulated sugar

1 cup of raisins
¼ cup cognac or rum

cinnamon (optional)
brown sugar (optional)
fruit preserves (optional) - strawberry or seedless black raspberry highly recommended

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Soak raisin in cognac or rum for at least 15 minutes, drain excess.

Boil noodles to al dente, as per package instructions. Drain, return noodles to pot, add butter, gently fold to coat all noodles with melting butter.

In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese and sour cream and add to the noodles. Beat egg yolks lightly with sugar and fold into the noodle mixture. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into the noodle mixture, along with the drained raisins.

Transfer the mixture to an ungreased casserole pan. Sprinkle cinnamon, brown sugar, on top.

Bake for 1 hour. Serve with fruit preserves.