Sweet Potato Kugel Cupcakes

It's that time of year.  We gather around the table to recall our journey from Egypt, and we spend eight days without the company of grains.  Yes, Passover is here, and it blows through like a tornado of which we had no warning (even though we knew it was coming).

We have been telling the same story for centuries (millenia!), asking the same questions, and singing the same silly songs.  And we've been serving the same roast chicken, brisket, tzimmes, and kugel for about as long.  But we Jews like to shake things up.  There are as many haggadot these days as you could hope for, ranging from your traditional to your feminist, your social action-y and your environmentalist, you children's coloring books and your guides to finding inner peace.  It's just about time for a new kugel.

I didn't make any crazy changes to the classic; after all, it's a dish that's hard to improve.  But I did sneak some zucchini in there for a touch of spring (and health), make the switch from white potatoes to sweet, and bake them up in muffin tins so that every serving would have the scrumptious crispy edge that is the hallmark of every kugel.

They'll be well-received whether you're attending a four hour marathon sedar or a five minute finger puppet version.  As long as you tell the story, you've had a sedar, and as long as someone brings a kugel, you can't go wrong.

Sweet Potato Kugel Cupcakes
Makes 24

2 large sweet potatoes
1 small zucchini
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 eggs
1/4 c vegetable or olive oil
1 sheet matzo, crumbled (or 1/4 c matzo meal)
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grate potatoes and zucchini into a bowl.

Beat eggs, oil, and matzo together, and stir into the potato mixture.  Season with salt and pepper.

Grease two muffin tins.  Scoop spoonfuls of kugel mixture into each pan, filling to the top, and pressing down to flatten.  Try to avoid too much liquid; if you need to, drain the mixture before continuing.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until crispy around the edges.  Let cool slightly before prying from the tins.  Serve hot or at room temperature.  If you are having a milk meal, you could top with some yogurt or sour cream, but I found them delicious plain.