Snack · 45 min · middle-eastern

Knafeh

Kataifi pastry does the heavy lifting here, with unsalted butter rounding it out. A Middle Eastern snack that takes 45 minutes, start to finish.

✓ USDA-verified nutrition data

Ingredients

• 1 lb Kataifi pastry
• 3/4 cup Unsalted butter
• 1 lb Sweet cheese
• 1.5 cups Sugar
• 1 tbsp Lemon juice
• 1 tsp Orange blossom water
• 1/2 cup Pistachios
• 1/2 tsp Rose water

Steps

1. Thaw the kataifi fully and fluff the shreds apart with your fingers — compressed shreds bake into a gummy mat, separated ones turn to crisp golden threads.
2. Toss the shreds with the melted butter until every strand glistens. Press half into a buttered 10-inch round pan, packing it down firmly.
3. Grate or shred the sweet cheese and spread it evenly, leaving a 1-inch border. Salt-free cheese matters here; the syrup supplies all the sweetness. Top with the remaining kataifi and press down.
4. Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes, until the top is deep golden. Run a knife around the edge — you should hear it crackle.
5. While it bakes, simmer the sugar with 3/4 cup water and lemon juice for 10 minutes, then stir in the orange blossom and rose waters. Pour the hot syrup over the hot knafeh the moment it leaves the oven.
6. Rest 5 minutes, then invert onto a platter. Shower with crushed pistachios and serve warm, while the cheese still stretches.

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