Cheese Kunafa
When the weekend calls for something a little extra but you don't want to spend all day fussing with it, this golden cheese kunafa really shows up. Crisp, buttery kataifi wraps around stretchy…
Ingredients
- 1 pound kataifi pastry, thawed
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 12 ounces low-moisture mozzarella, shredded
- 1 cup whole-milk ricotta
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon orange blossom water
- 1/3 cup shelled pistachios, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Brush a heaping 9-inch round baking pan or 9-inch cake pan with some of the melted butter, making sure to coat the bottom and sides.
- Pull the kataifi apart with your fingers into loose, feathery strands. Toss it with the remaining melted butter until every strand looks lightly coated; this takes a few minutes, but it is the trick to a crisp top instead of dry patches.
- Press about half of the buttered kataifi firmly into the pan, taking it all the way to the edges. Use the bottom of a glass or a flat measuring cup to compact it into an even layer.
- Stir the mozzarella and ricotta together, then spread the cheese mixture over the kataifi, leaving a narrow border around the edge so the filling doesn't leak into the pan. Cover with the remaining kataifi and gently press it down.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, rotating once, until the surface is deeply golden and the edges look crisp. While it bakes, simmer the sugar, water, and lemon juice in a small saucepan for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and stir in the orange blossom water.
- Let the kunafa rest for 5 minutes, then carefully invert it onto a serving plate. Pour the warm syrup evenly over the hot pastry, pausing to let it soak in rather than flooding one spot.
- Scatter the pistachios over the top and cut into wedges. Serve warm while the cheese is still stretchy, ideally with strong coffee and a crowd ready to steal the crisp edge pieces.
Watch the Cheese Kunafa cooking video
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