Lebanese Knafeh Cheese Delight (Print Version)

A Middle Eastern dessert featuring chewy cheese and crispy shredded phyllo with honey syrup.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cheese Filling

01 - 14 oz Akawi cheese or unsalted mozzarella, soaked and drained
02 - 7 oz ricotta cheese

→ Pastry

03 - 9 oz kataifi (shredded phyllo dough), thawed
04 - 7 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

→ Syrup

05 - 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
06 - 3/4 cup water
07 - 1 tbsp lemon juice
08 - 1 tbsp orange blossom water
09 - 1 tbsp rose water

→ Garnish

10 - 2 tbsp finely chopped pistachios
11 - 1 tbsp honey (optional, for drizzling)

# How to Make It:

01 - Heat oven to 350°F (180°C).
02 - Soak Akawi cheese in water for several hours or overnight, changing water hourly to reduce salt. Drain, pat dry, and shred or slice thin.
03 - Mix Akawi or mozzarella with ricotta in a bowl. Set aside.
04 - Place kataifi pastry in a large bowl. Gently separate strands and pour melted butter over them, mixing until fully coated.
05 - Grease a 9-inch (23 cm) round baking dish. Evenly spread half the buttered kataifi on the bottom, pressing to form a compact layer.
06 - Spread cheese mixture evenly over kataifi base.
07 - Cover cheese with remaining kataifi strands, pressing gently.
08 - Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
09 - Combine sugar, water, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Bring to boil, then simmer 8–10 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat, stir in orange blossom and rose water. Cool.
10 - Invert hot knafeh onto serving platter. Pour half the cooled syrup over it evenly. Garnish with chopped pistachios and drizzle honey if desired. Serve warm with extra syrup on side.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • That moment when you cut into it and the cheese pulls in long, satisfying strands is pure joy.
  • The contrast between crispy golden pastry and warm, melting cheese feels like a small celebration on a plate.
  • Orange blossom syrup soaking into hot pastry creates something you can't replicate any other way.
02 -
  • The cheese must be soaked thoroughly if using Akawi—oversalted knafeh is a hard lesson learned by many, myself included.
  • Pour the syrup while the knafeh is still hot and the pastry is freshly out of the oven; this is the secret to perfect absorption without sogginess.
  • Thawed kataifi is essential; frozen strands will clump and won't coat evenly with butter, creating dense patches instead of crispy ones.
03 -
  • Buy your kataifi from a store with high turnover; frozen phyllo can dry out if stored too long, and dried strands won't crisp the same way.
  • If your pastry browns too quickly before the cheese softens, lower the oven temperature by 10 degrees and bake a few minutes longer.
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