Growing up, I would always make Knafeh with my mom and grandma, and It still stands as my favorite Middle Eastern desserts of all time. It was one of those desserts that brought us all together in the kitchen, which has helped me learn so much about baking just by watching them. Making this recipe, this is actually my first time making knafeh entirely alone, using what I already know to create something original. I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out: the crispy dough layer pairing perfectly with the creamy cheese filling, flavorful syrup, and crunchy pistachios to top.
Ingredients
For Knafeh
- 3.5 cups Konafah frozen shredded filo dough
- 1.5 sticks unsalted buter
- 3 tsp granulated sugar
For the Cheese Filling
- 1.5 cups shredded mozarella cheese
- 0.5 cup ricotta cheese
- 5/12-1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 stick unsalted butter (melted)
For the Syrup (Ater)
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 tsp rosewater
- 1 tsp lemon juice
How to Bake
- Using either scissors or. food processor, cut up the film dough into small shreds and add in the melted butter
- Spray a springform pan with cooking spray or coat with butter/oil
- Take a little less than half of the konafah dough and spread it across the bottom of the pan. Press it down and ensure it is even and there aren’t blank spots. Make sure to press down at the edges of the pan as well
- To begin the cheese filling, add your shredded mozzarella, ricotta, butter and sugar into a large bowl and mix everything until the mixture is creamy so it can be spread easily
- Add the cheese filling to the pan and press it down on top of the bottom layer of konafah dough. Again, ensure it is spread evenly and press down at the edges
- Add on the final layer of konafah dough and press it on top of the cheese layer. The top layer should be thicker than the bottom one. Your final product should be firmly packed into the spring form pan before baking
- Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. If the top is not golden-brown, set the oven to broil and let the knafeh sit for about 5 minute or until the top changes color.
- About 10 minutes before your knafeh has finished baking, begin making the syrup: in a small saucepan over medium heat, add the water and sugar and let the sugar dissolve
- Once the sugar water is brought to a boil, add in the rose water and lemon juice. Lower the heat and let the mixture continue boiling for about 5 minutes, stirring gradually
- When the knafeh is done baking, drizzle the syrup on top
- OPTIONAL: top with crushed pistachios if you choose to add them