Knafeh – how to make a delicious oriental dessert

Fragrant, viscous, crispy and incredibly tasty knafeh (kunafa, knafa) is a real oriental masterpiece that has long won the hearts of sweet tooths around the world. This dessert, originally from the Middle East, combines puff pastry kadayif, creamy cheese filling and sweet syrup with the aroma of rose or orange. We at joy-pup will share a step-by-step recipe for this delicacy. Read also how to make Swedish pancakes with blueberries.

Ingredients:

For the base:

• Kadaif dough (kataifi) – 250 g
• Butter or ghee – 100 g

For the filling:

• Mozzarella (without brine) – 200 g
• Ricotta – 200 g
• Sugar – 2 tbsp
• A pinch of salt

For the syrup:

• Sugar – 150 g
• Water – 100 ml
• Lemon juice – 1 tsp
• Rose water or orange essence – 1 tsp

For decoration:

Crushed pistachios – to taste

Step-by-step recipe

• In a saucepan, mix sugar and water, bring to a boil. Add lemon juice and cook for 5-7 minutes on low heat. Finally, add rose water. Cool the syrup.
• Defrost the kadayif and carefully untangle the fibers. Drizzle with melted butter and mix well with your hands so that each strand is coated.
• Mix grated mozzarella, ricotta, sugar and a pinch of salt. The filling should be soft, but not runny.
• Take a round form with a diameter of 24-26 cm. Put half of the dough, tamp it down a little. Spread the cheese filling. Put the remaining dough on top, press it down lightly.
• Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. You can also cook in a frying pan with a lid, turning the knafeh over during the process.
• Immediately pour the cooled syrup over the finished hot dessert. Decorate with pistachios and serve warm – the cheese should be viscous and the top should be crispy.

To be continued…