Knafeh Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Use a food processor to finely chop the frozen, shredded phyllo dough. The strands should be about the size of a grain of rice. Pour the dough into a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the ricotta, mozzarella, and 1/3 cup sugar.
• Place the butter in a large liquid measuring cup or bowl with a spout. Heat the butter in a microwave until completely melted, and let it sit for several minutes until a thick white foam has formed on top. Clarify the butter by using a spoon to skim off the foam.
• Carefully pour the butter into the bowl of phyllo dough. Avoid pouring in the white milk solids at the bottom of the clarified butter. Use your hands to mix the butter and dough together. Make sure that the butter is absorbed by taking handfuls of the dough and rubbing it between your palms.
• Evenly spread the buttered phyllo dough into a 9x13-inch pan and firmly press it into the bottom and edges. Spread the cheese mixture onto the dough, avoiding the edges of the pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is slightly golden and the edges of dough are brown and bubbly, 30 to 35 minutes.
• While the kanafa is baking, prepare the syrup. Combine the water and 1/2 cup sugar in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the lemon juice. Simmer, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. (Do not let the mixture turn golden and caramelize.) Remove from heat and add the rose water; set aside.
• Remove the kanafa from the oven. Place a large platter or baking sheet over the baking dish. Using oven mitts, carefully invert the baking dish onto the platter so the phyllo is on top. Pour the syrup over the kanafa. Cut into pieces and serve while hot.

Steps:

• For the syrup: Put the sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring it to a boil, lower the heat to medium low and simmer until it thickens a bit, 10 to 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the syrup cool to room temperature.
• For the kunefe: Cut the kadayif into small pieces and put it in a large bowl. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter, add it to the bowl and mix with a spoon to make sure all of the kadayif pieces are coated in butter.
• Coat the bottoms of two 5-inch kunefe pans completely with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Spoon out a quarter of the kadayif mixture into one of the pans, spread and press down using a spoon. Crumble 1 ounce of the sweet cheese onto the kadayif, leaving about a 1/2-inch border on all sides. Top with another quarter of the kadayif mixture and press with your hands.
• Place the pan over medium-low heat and cook until golden on the bottom (there will be an aroma of toasted nuts), 4 to 6 minutes. Place the other prepared pan over the kunefe and flip (be careful, the pan is hot). Place it back on the heat and cook uncovered until the underside is golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat, drizzle 1/4 cup of the syrup all over the kunefe and top with 1 tablespoon of the ground pistachios. Re-butter the pans and repeat with the remaining kadayif, cheese, syrup and pistachios. Serve immediately with extra syrup for drizzling.

Steps:

• Mix cheese, sugar, and orange blossom water together.
• Chop knafeh dough with a sharp knife. Mix with 1 3/4 cups hot butter over low fire for 15 minutes, or until dough absorbs all the butter.
• Mix 1/4 cup butter, knafeh coloring, and spread in a 17x12 inch pan. Sprinkle pine nuts evenly.
• Spread 2/3 of the dough in the pan over the nuts and press well. Spread the cheese mixture over dough evenly. Cover with the rest of the dough and press well.
• Bake at 400 degrees in a preheated oven for 30 minutes. (Place on lower rack).
• Add thin attar. Flip the tray over in another tray of the same size. Return to the oven and bake for 10 more minutes.
• Garnish with pistachios and serve hot!

Steps:

• To make the syrup: Boil the sugar, 1 1/4 cups water and lemon juice for 10 to 15 minutes, then add the orange-blossom water. Let it cool, then chill in the refrigerator.
• For the filling, mix the rice flour with enough of the cold milk to make a smooth paste. Bring the rest of the milk to a boil. Add the rice-flour paste to the boiling milk, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon. Leave on very low heat and continue to stir constantly until the mixture thickens, being careful not to let it burn. Add the sugar and orange-blossom water and stir well. Refrigerate until cool before adding the heavy cream and mixing well.
• Put the knafeh pastry in a large bowl. Pull out and separate the strands as much as possible with your fingers so they do not stick together. Pour the melted butter over it and work it in very thoroughly with your fingers, pulling out and separating the strands and turning them over so they do not stick together and are entirely coated with butter.
• Spread half the pastry at the bottom of a 12-inch pie pan. Spread the cream filling over it evenly and cover with the rest of the pastry. Press down and flatten with the palm of your hand. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes. Then raise the temperature to 425 for about 15 minutes until the pastry colors slightly.
• Just before serving, run a sharp knife around the edges of the pie to loosen the sides and turn out onto a large serving dish. Pour the cold syrup all over the hot knafeh, and sprinkle the top with chopped pistachios. (You could also pour half the syrup before serving and pass the rest around for everyone to help themselves to more.)