Who asked for a knafeh recipe? This is my compilation of recipes I found online.
Please note: this is a dairy recipe!
Ingredients
- 200 g kadaif pastry (also called kadayif);
- 180 g butter;
- 150 g sugar;
- 230 ml water;
- 65 ml rosewater;
- 200 g soft but firm goat cheese; in Israel, Fromez (פרומעז), with 23% fat;
- 3–5 dried apricots;
- 50–60 g unroasted pistachios;
- ⅓ of a small lemon.
You will need
- A small frying pan, neither very deep nor completely shallow;
- A plate wider than the frying pan;
- A medium bowl for preparing the pastry;
- A small saucepan or cezve for the syrup;
- A small saucepan or cezve for the butter;
- A spoon;
- A spatula;
- A small bag and a mallet or rolling pin.
Preparation
1. Prepare the pistachios
Toast the pistachios in a dry frying pan, without adding anything, for 2–3 minutes over medium heat. Let them cool slightly, put them in a bag and crush them with a mallet or rolling pin, more finely than shown in my picture.
2. Prepare the syrup
Combine the sugar, water and rosewater. Squeeze in the lemon juice and heat, stirring occasionally, until almost boiling.
3. Prepare the butter
Melt all the butter, allow the foam to gather, remove from the heat and skim off the foam.
4. Prepare the pastry
Put the kadaif in a bowl and separate the strands there. Do not overdo it; the strands are usually partly stuck together. Pour over two-thirds of the butter and mix well.
5. Prepare the filling
Cut the dried apricots into small cubes and mix with the cheese. With your hands, shape the cheese mixture into a disc about two-thirds the diameter of the pan’s base.
6. Assemble
Pour half the remaining butter into the warmed frying pan. Set the heat a little above medium. Add half the pastry, press down with a spoon and neaten the edges. Add the filling, cover with the remaining pastry, then press down and smooth with the spoon. Fry until the underside is brown, neither light brown nor dark brown.
Cover the pan with the plate, hold it firmly against the pan and turn over quickly but carefully so that the knafeh lands on the plate. Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining butter.
Carefully slide the knafeh back into the pan, gently nudging it, so that the uncooked side faces down. Cook until this side is as browned as the top, then pour over the syrup.
Make sure the syrup thoroughly moistens the entire top of the knafeh. Let the moisture around the edges evaporate, but do not allow the sugar to caramelize.
Transfer the knafeh to a plate and sprinkle with the pistachios.
Enjoy!
Recipe by Michael Axelrod.