Kanafe Recipe

Kanafe or Knafeh originated in the Palestinian city of Nablus in the modern-day West Bank, where it is filled with Nabulsi cheese. Another name for kanafe is Konafa Nabulsiyye. It plays a central role in Palestinian cuisine and is the most famous throughout the Arab world.

Kanafe is also found in the Balkans and is a feature of Lebanese, Jordanian, Turkish, Greek, and Levantine cuisine.

Serves: 8-10
Difficulty: Easy
Prep and Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 package Kataifi (shredded phyllo/fillo dough)
• 3 sticks of sweet cream butter melted
• 1 15oz package of ricotta cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozerella
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons samolina or farina
• 1 cup Mediterranean simple syrup for serving
• Ground pistachios for garnish

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl, crumble the kataifi (about 3/4 of the package) with your hands and then add melted butter and mix completely. Put half of the mixture in the bottom of a non-stick pan and spread out as a crust.
• In a large bowl combine the ricotta cheese and mozerella cheese. In a small pan slightly heat the milk for 1 minute and add the samolina and cook for 30 seconds, then add the mixture to the cheese mixture and combine well. Pour cheese mixture in the pan on top of the kataifi crust and spread evenly. Place the rest of the kataifi mixture evenly on top of the cheese mixture to form another crust on top.
• Place pan in oven and cook at 350-400 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Take out and let stand for 30 minutes and then invert into a nice plate and garnish with ground pistachio nuts. Serve with simple syrup.