Knefe

Knefe (also spelled kanafeh or kunafa) is the ancient cheese and shredded pastry dessert that stretches across the Levant, from Nablus in Palestine to Beirut, Damascus, and beyond. The Lebanese city of Tripoli claims a particular mastery of it — its shops open before dawn, and the dessert is as likely to be eaten for breakfast as after dinner or as a late-night street food. The base is kataifi (shredded filo dough) saturated with clarified butter, pressed around a layer of stretchy Nabulsi or akkawi cheese, baked until golden, then soaked in orange-blossom-scented simple syrup and finished with crushed pistachios. Eaten hot, the cheese pulls in long, dramatic strings.

Serves: 8

Ingredients

For the knefe:

• 450 g (1 lb) kataifi (shredded filo dough), thawed if frozen
• 150 g (5 oz) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon orange food colouring (traditional) or annatto powder (optional)
• 400 g (14 oz) Nabulsi or akkawi cheese, thinly sliced and soaked in cold water for 1 hour to remove salt
• 200 g (7 oz) fresh whole-milk ricotta or unsalted mozzarella, drained
• 50 g (1¾ oz) unsalted pistachios, finely crushed, to garnish

For the simple syrup (ater):

• 300 g (1½ cups) sugar
• 180 ml (¾ cup) water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons orange blossom water

Instructions

1. Make the syrup first: combine sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, add lemon juice, and simmer for 8 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat, stir in orange blossom water, and cool completely.
2. Preheat oven to 200 °C / 390 °F. Pull apart and roughly chop the kataifi dough into 5 cm (2 in) pieces. Toss thoroughly with the melted butter and food colouring if using.
3. Press half the buttered kataifi firmly into the base of a 30 cm (12 in) round baking tin, compressing it into an even, dense layer.
4. Drain and pat dry the soaked Nabulsi cheese. Layer the cheese slices evenly over the kataifi base, followed by an even layer of ricotta. Press gently.
5. Top with the remaining kataifi, pressing firmly to compact everything into a tight, even disc.
6. Bake for 25–30 minutes until the top is an even deep golden-orange.
7. Remove from oven and immediately invert onto a large serving platter. Pour the cooled syrup evenly over the hot knefe — it will sizzle and absorb rapidly.
8. Scatter crushed pistachios over the top. Serve immediately while the cheese is still stretchy and hot.

Cook's Notes: The cheese must be soaked to remove most of its salt — taste a piece after soaking; it should be very mild. Kataifi dough dries out quickly once opened; keep it covered with a damp towel while you work. Knefe waits for no one — it must be eaten within minutes of being syruped.