Royal Cheese Kunafa (Knafeh) (Style 3)
Layers of crisp golden filo pastry or delicate semolina cake, soaked in aromatic orange blossom honey syrup and crowned with crushed pistachios.
Ingredients
- • 400g shredded kataifi pastry
- • 250g unsalted butter, melted
- • 400g Nabulsi or mozzarella cheese, shredded
- • 1 tbsp fine semolina
- • 300g sugar
- • 200ml water
- • 1 tbsp lemon juice
- • 1 tbsp orange blossom water
- • 75g pistachios, finely ground
Preparation Steps
Boil the sugar, water, and lemon juice for 10 minutes into a light syrup, cool, and stir in the orange blossom water.
Chop the kataifi finely and toss it thoroughly with the melted butter.
Press half the buttered kataifi over the base of a buttered round tray.
Mix the cheese with the semolina and spread it evenly over the base, then cover with the remaining kataifi, pressing gently.
Bake at 190C for 30 to 40 minutes until deep golden on both sides, flipping once so both crusts crisp.
Pour the cold syrup over the hot knafeh as soon as it leaves the oven.
Rest for a few minutes, then cut into wedges and top with ground pistachios.