Individual Onion Kugels

Step 1: Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.

Step 2: Cook noodles in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente, about 5 minutes.

Step 3: Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water, then drain well.

Step 4: Melt butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat and brush muffin cups with some of butter.

Step 5: Add onions to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, about 20 minutes.

Step 6: Transfer onions to a large bowl and stir in noodles, sour cream, cottage cheese, and poppy seeds.

Step 7: Lightly beat eggs with salt and pepper, then stir into noodle mixture until combined well.

Step 8: Divide mixture among muffin cups and bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

Step 9: Loosen edges of kugels with a thin knife and cool kugels in pan 5 minutes before serving.

Step 10: "To freeze: I cooked as directed before allowing to cool. Wrap individulally and freeze. To serve: Place frozen kugels in a muffin pan. Add a small amount of water into the remaining muffin tins. Cover will foil and bake at 350 for approximately 20-30 minutes or until warmed through. "