Cheese and butter knafeh

Cheese and butter knafeh

Serves: 8–10.

Ingredients

• About 570 g shredded kataifi dough
• ½ cup melted butter
• ⅓ cup ghee
• White cheese suitable for knafeh, soaked first if salty
• Crushed pistachios, to finish

For the syrup

• 2 cups sugar
• 1½ cups water
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Orange-blossom or rose water, to taste

Method

1. Simmer the sugar, water and lemon to make a light syrup. Add blossom or rose water and leave to cool.
2. Cut the kataifi into shorter strands and coat thoroughly with butter and ghee.
3. Press three quarters of the dough firmly into the pan. Add the cheese, then cover with the remaining dough.
4. Bake at 230°C for about 20 minutes, until the edges colour and the base is set.
5. Carefully invert onto another pan and bake for about five more minutes until golden.
6. Pour the cool syrup over the hot knafeh, scatter with pistachios and serve warm.

Success tip

If the cheese is salty, soak it in several changes of water before use, then drain it thoroughly.

Reference: Yumma — Knafeh Nabulsiyeh.