Middle Eastern Kunafa with Cheese

The legendary Levantine dessert: crispy shredded pastry dough filled with stretchy melted cheese, soaked in fragrant orange blossom syrup.

55 min total Base: 10 servings 420 cal total

Submitted by Mystery Chef AI

Ingredients

Adjust Servings10 servings

1Base: 10 servings80

Kataifi (shredded pastry dough)

500 g

Unsalted butter, melted

150 g

Akkawi or mozzarella cheese

500 g

Ricotta cheese

250 g

Sugar

1.5 cups

Water

1 cup

Orange blossom water

2 tbsp

Rose water

1 tbsp

Crushed pistachios

0.5 cup

Make sugar syrup: boil sugar and water until slightly thickened. Add orange blossom and rose water. Cool.

Soak akkawi cheese in water for 2 hours, changing water twice to reduce saltiness.

Mix cheeses together.

Toss kataifi dough with melted butter to coat evenly.

Press half the dough into a buttered round baking pan. Spread cheese filling evenly.

Cover with remaining dough, pressing firmly. Bake at 200°C for 30-35 minutes until deep golden.

Immediately flip onto a serving platter. Drizzle generously with cold syrup. Sprinkle pistachios.

💡 Chef's Tip

The secret is pouring COLD syrup over HOT kunafa — this creates that signature crunch and crackle.

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