Kunefe (Kanafeh)

Kunefe has been a staple of the cuisines of the Ottoman Empire in the Eastern Mediterranean. Traditionally, it is cooked in small copper plates, served hot in syrup with a dollop of clotted cream kaymak and pistachios (or walnuts) all over the top.

Ingredients

• 1 Package Shredded Dough (kataifi) ~ 450 gr
• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cup sweet cheese

Syrup

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups water
• 1 slice lemon

Sweet cheese is sold in specialty stores but if you cannot find it you may also use unsalted Mozzarella cheese instead. I've also heard some people successfully using ricotta cheese but I've never tried it myself. Sweet cheese provides the best texture, though!

In different middle eastern recipes for kunefe, you may come across to rose water or orange blossom water as an ingredient for the syrup. In Turkey, we don't use any of these. I guess it's the strong flavor that takes over the dessert which is not all that appealing to our taste buds. Feel free to experiment, though. Also, lemon juice is not added for a different flavor, but to enhance the consistency of the syrup.

Preparation

This recipe is for 2 "frying pan" size kunefes. Now, we do not bake this dessert, but cook it on the stove. I know, you've seen recipes where you actually do the baking but this version is simpler and the dough doesn't dry as much. (Oven or stove, it all depends how you like it). You need a good non-stick frying pan which is shallow, a wok won't do the job.

1. Put half a package of shredded dough in the food processor and pulse a few times. Then, do the same for the other half. If you'd like you can do that with your hands. In a large bowl combine the dough with the butter, mixing with hands until every strand is evenly coated with the butter. 
2. For the first pan, simply put 1/4 of the dough-butter mixture and firmly press down. 
3. Spread half the cheese, evenly. Then put another 1/4 of the dough-butter mixture and again, firmly press down.
4. Meanwhile prepare the syrup. For the syrup, simply mix sugar and water in a saucepan and boil. After it comes to a boil, let simmer for 5 minutes and add the lemon juice and let boil for another 2-3 minutes. 
5. Pour the hot syrup on the hot kunefe. 
6. Sprinkle with ground pistachios and serve immediately after the kataifi absorbs the syrup. It should still be piping hot and make sure you have a good knife to cut through.