Kunāfah

Kunāfah (Egyptian Cheese & Cream Kunafa)

A beloved Egyptian sweet pastry with a crisp golden shell of kataifi pastry wrapped around a soft, sweet cheese filling perfumed with cardamom and brightened with lemon. Soaked in fragrant sugar syrup, it is the crowning dessert of celebrations and Ramadan tables.

Prep

25 min

Cook

35 min

Total

60 min

Serves

8

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) kataifi (shredded phyllo pastry), keep refrigerated until use so the strands stay pliable
• •200 g (7 oz (about 1 cup)) unsalted butter or ghee, melted; ghee is more traditional
• •400 g (14 oz) akkawi cheese, soak 1–2 hours in cold water, changing water once, to remove excess salt; mozzarella is the common home substitute
• •100 g (3½ oz) fresh mozzarella or ricotta, low-moisture; helps the filling set and stretch
• •120 ml (½ cup) heavy cream
• •1 tsp ground cardamom, freshly ground is best
• •1 tsp rose water or orange blossom water, optional but traditional
• •1 tsp finely grated lemon zest, from 1 unwaxed lemon
• •1 tbsp lemon juice, balances the sweetness
• •400 g (2 cups) granulated sugar, for the attar syrup
• •250 ml (1 cup) water, for the syrup
• •1 tsp lemon juice, added to syrup to prevent crystallization
• •1 tsp ground cardamom, for the syrup
• •30 g (2 tbsp) pistachios, roughly chopped, for garnish

Steps

1. 1 Make the attar syrup first: combine sugar, water, lemon juice and cardamom in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then simmer 8–10 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in rose or orange blossom water if using. Cool completely — the syrup must be cold when poured over the hot pastry.
2. 2 Prepare the filling: drain the soaked akkawi cheese well and pat dry. Grate or crumble it and toss with the mozzarella, cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, cardamom and rose or orange blossom water. Set aside.
3. 3 Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F. Butter a 25 cm (10 inch) round baking dish generously.
4. 4 Unwrap the kataifi and gently pull apart the strands with your fingers so they loosen into a fluffy, cotton-like mass. Drizzle the melted ghee over the strands and toss with your fingertips until every strand is coated — this is the key to a crisp, golden crust.
5. 5 Press half of the buttered kataifi firmly and evenly into the base and up the sides of the dish to form a compact shell, about 1 cm (½ inch) thick.
6. 6 Spread the cheese filling in an even layer over the pastry base, pressing it down gently.
7. 7 Cover the filling with the remaining kataifi, pressing down firmly so the layers adhere and the surface is compact.
8. 8 Drizzle any remaining melted ghee over the top. Using a sharp knife, score the surface all the way through into diamonds or squares — this makes cutting after baking much easier and helps the syrup penetrate.
9. 9 Bake 30–35 minutes, until the top is deeply golden and crisp. If the top browns before the bottom is set, finish the last 5 minutes on the lower rack.
10. 10 As soon as the kunafa leaves the oven, pour the cold syrup evenly over the hot pastry — about 200 ml (¾ cup); reserve the rest to serve on the side. Listen for the gentle sizzle as the syrup absorbs.
11. 11 Let rest 10–15 minutes so the cheese sets slightly, then cut along the scored lines and lift pieces out with a spatula.
12. 12 Serve warm, garnished with chopped pistachios, and pass the remaining syrup at the table.