Best Kanafa Recipes

KUNAFA RECIPE

Kunafa Recipe image

Kunafa is the ultimate Middle Eastern dessert. A luscious, crunchy, and buttery shredded fillo (phyllo) enclosing the most creamy silky milk pudding and drizzled with fragrant simple syrup.

Provided by Amira

Categories Dessert

Time 1h15m

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

2 cup granulated sugar.
1 1/4 cup water.
1/4 cup honey.
1 teaspoon lime juice.
1 Tablespoon orange blossom water
OR
1 Tablespoon rose water.
OR
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.Note1
2 cups whole fat milk.
3-4 Tablespoons corn starch. Note2
8 oz sweet cheese (optional. Note2)
1 lb pound knafeh (Note3)
1 cup ghee

Steps:

In a saucepan over medium-high heat add sugar, water, honey and your flavors, stir to combine.
Bring to a boil then add the lemon juice. Turn heat down to low and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
Turn heat off and let it cool completely and come to room temperature. Note4
In a saucepan whisk together cold milk and cornstarch until dissolved.
Place on your stovetop on medium, keep stirring the mixture until it bubbles and thickens.
Take off heat, let it cool completely, or pour the mixture in a bowl and cover directly with plastic wrap. Note4
In a microwave-safe bowl or in a small saucepan melt ghee and let it cool so you can handle.
Take one half of the thawed knafeh and pulse in your food processor. Make sure not to turn it into powder.
Place shredded knafeh in a bowl and proceed with the other half.
Pour 3/4 of the melted ghee over the knafeh and massage with your hands to spread the ghee evenly.
Preheat your oven to 350F.
Brush a 10" round pan with some of the melted ghee. Note5
Place half the knafeh on the pan pressing hard with another plate or a measuring cup to spread evenly along the bottom and the sides.
Pour the pudding mixture topping it with the grated cheese if using.
Spread the filling evenly leaving about half an inch from the sides.
Top with the remaining half of the knafeh, spread evenly pressing lightly with your fingertips.
Pour the remaining ghee evenly on top.
Bake in the middle rack for 30 minutes until sides turn brown then move it up to brown the top for 10 to 15 minutes.
Pour cooled syrup over while hot and let it rest for 10 minutes.
If you want invert on a serving platter and garnish with crushed pistachios.Note6

Nutrition Facts : Calories 348.4 kcal, SaturatedFat 10.2 g, Cholesterol 35.3 mg, Sodium 144.2 mg, Carbohydrate 45.1 g, Fiber 0.6 g, Sugar 32.9 g, Protein 2.7 g, ServingSize 1 serving

KUNAFA

Kunafa image

Kunafa is one of the most ubiquitous pastries across the Middle East, and is such a simple dessert. It easy to make with vermicelli-like kataifi pastry.

Provided by Salma Hage

Yield Serves 4

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

7 oz. (200 g) kataifi pastry
2¾ oz. (80 g) unsalted butter, melted
4½ oz. (125g) mozzarella, grated
½ cup (3½ oz. or 100 g) ricotta
⅔ cup (4 oz. or 120 g) superfine or caster sugar
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp. rose water
⅓ cup (1¾ oz. or 50 g) raw pistachios, chopped
2 Tbsp. dried rose petals

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 400°F or 200ºC.
Place the pastry in a bowl and pour over the melted butter. Use your hands to separate the strands and distribute the butter evenly among them.
Pack half the buttery pastry into the base of an 8-inch (20-cm) round ovenproof pan, making sure some of the pastry rises up the sides. Press gently down all over with the base of a glass to ensure the pastry is packed down tightly.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine the mozzarella and ricotta. Spread the cheese mixture over the pastry in the pan and cover with the remaining pastry. Pack down again with the base of a glass.
Place the pan in the oven and bake for 25 minutes until crisp and golden.
While the pastry is baking, make the syrup. Put the sugar into a saucepan with the lemon zest and juice and ½ cup (4 fl oz. or 120 ml) of water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 8-10 minutes until the mixture reaches a syrupy consistency.
Pour the syrup over the pastry as soon as it comes out of the oven, then allow to rest in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out on to a plate.
Top with the chopped pistachios and rose petals, and cut into 4 slices to serve.

KUNAFA THE TRADITIONALLY DESERT

Kunafa the Traditionally Desert image

Kunafa is like the Middle East's version of a cheese danish. Its base is mild, stretchy white cheese--very like fresh mozzarella or paneer--with a topping of rich semolina pastry, all of it soaked in sweet rosewater syrup. The sweet is baked in giant rounds, and cut into pieces for serving. Although kunafa is popular in many parts of the Middle East, it is apparently native the ancient Palestinian city of Nablus, on the West Bank. Nablus Sweets in Bay Ridge takes great pride in the confection, which it spells k'nafee. This morning, around noon, the sweet was still in the oven. When it finally emerged, it was an orange-tinted wonder, leaking melted cheese and syrup, probably more than two feet in diameter. The counterwoman cut a drippy slice and weighed it: $6 for a portion that would feed three enthusiastic eaters. And the kunafa is delicious, the mild, slightly tangy cheese anchoring the sugary, nutty semolina on top. In 2009, a pastry chef in Nablus (palestine) made the world's largest kunafa. It was 243 feet long and weighed 3,891 pounds. It was shared among the residents of the city.

Provided by Walid Nazzal

Categories Palestinian

Time 2h30m

Yield 12 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

1 lb konafa pastry dough (can be found in most middle eastern, arab or greek grocery stores or markets)
1/2 lb butter, melted
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
1/2 lemon, juice of
1/2 teaspoon rose water or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup blanched whole almond
1/2 cup golden raisin
2 cups walnuts, coarsely chopped (or 2 1/2 cups pistachios and omit raisins)
2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 lb soft ricotta cheese (this is an alternative filling, if using ricotta omit the nuts, raisins, cinnamon and the 2 1/2 tbsp)
butter, for buttering the pan

Steps:

1. In a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, add water, the 1 1/2 cups sugar and lemon juice. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Let simmer to a syrupy consistency. Remove from heat, let cool and add rosewater or vanilla.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees Celsius Butter a 12-inch round, 2-inch high cake pan.
3. In a large bowl gently loosen kataifi. Mix very well with the 1/2 pound of melted butter. Place blanched almonds in a decorative pattern in the cake pan. Cover with half of the kataifi. Press down lightly.
4. If using the ricotta cheese, spread in an even layer over kataifi, then cover with the remaining half of the kataifi. Press down gently.
5. If using the raisins and walnuts sprinkle an even layer over kataifi. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Cover with the remainig half of the kataifi. Press down gently.
6. Bake until lightly golden, about 30 to 45 minutes. (Note: the reverse side will be more golden when you turn it out.)
7. Immediately pour cold sugar syrup evenly over the hot kunafa. Let cool completely to room temperature. Invert onto serving plate.
8. If using the ricotta cheese, kunafa should be served warm or hot. It may be difficult to invert with the ricotta filling so cut and serve from pan.