Knafeh (Arabic: قنفح) is a Middle Eastern pastry typically made with cheese and special syrup. This classic Arab dessert is not only a tasty treat but also a great way to impress guests. There are many ways to make and enjoy this desert. However, we bring you a very simple and delicious baked version of Knafeh. Trust me it’s easier than the fried version.
Baked Knafeh Recipe
Oven – Preheat the oven to 375F/190C/ Gas Mark 5Pan – In a small bowl, combine the room temperature butter and powdered food color. Using a pastry brush, coat the inside of an 8-inch oven-safe skillet or 8-inch round cake pan with the colored butter. Set aside.Pro tip – Be generous with the butter as it will make the pastry nice and crisp!
Kataifi – Transfer the kataifi dough to the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times. Do not make it too fine. Transfer the kataifi to a large bowl and pour melted butter. Using your hands or two spoons, toss the crushed kataifi so every strand is coated in butter. Set aside.Pro tip – I prefer to crush the pastry with my hands in a large bowl. This gives more volume and looks nicer. If you plan to dye the dough, you can add the powdered food color to the dough along with the butter.Cheese – In a large bowl, combine all the cheeses and add the sugar. Set aside.Syrup – In a small saucepan, combine the syrup ingredients. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until thick. Set aside.Pro tip – Do not make the syrup too thick as it will just make parts of the pastry too sweet leaving some parts unsweetened.
Assemble
First layer – Divide the kataifi into two. Layer the first half in the bottom of the prepared greased skillet/baking pan. Press down with the flat bottom of a glass or measuring cup.Cheese – Pour the prepared cheese mixture on top and make sure to leave an inch away from the edges.Pro tip – The cheese must be in the center so it does not ooze out from the edges.Second layer – Top with the remaining kataifi dough and press down with the back of a glass or measuring cup.Pro tip – To make it crispy brush the top with any remaining melted butter.
Bake – Transfer the pan to the oven and bake on the center rack for 30 to 35 minutes or until lightly golden brown.Syrup – As soon as you take the baked pastry out of the oven, generously pour the room-temperature syrup over the hot pastry. Leave to soak for 10 minutes.Invert – To invert the pastry, place a plate over the pan and flip it over.Pro tip – Make sure to use a plate larger than the circumference of the pan and wait for all the syrup to be fully soaked into the pastry.Garnish – Garnish the top with crushed nuts. I like to serve this dessert warm with ice cream on top.
Variations
Cheese – Try different trypes of cheese from ricotta to goat cheese. So, you can make a ricotta knafeh or goat cheese knafeh.Honey knafeh – Use honey instead of sugar to make the syrup. Custard knafeh – Instead of cheese use thicken pastry cream for the filing.
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