Lebanese Knafeh Cheese Delight (Printable Version)

Warm cheese layered with crispy shredded phyllo and orange blossom honey syrup for a special treat.

# 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 Steps:

01 - Set the oven to 350°F (180°C) to prepare for baking.
02 - Soak Akawi cheese in water for several hours or overnight, refreshing water hourly to reduce salt. Drain, pat dry, and shred or slice thinly.
03 - In a bowl, mix the Akawi (or mozzarella) with ricotta cheese until well combined. Set aside.
04 - Place kataifi pastry in a large bowl, gently separate strands, then pour melted butter over and mix thoroughly to coat all strands evenly.
05 - Grease a 9-inch round baking dish. Spread half of the buttered kataifi evenly across the bottom, pressing firmly to form a compact base.
06 - Evenly distribute the cheese filling over the kataifi base.
07 - Cover the cheese layer with the remaining kataifi, pressing gently to secure the layers.
08 - Place assembled dish in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and crisp.
09 - Combine sugar, water, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, simmer 8 to 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in orange blossom and rose water. Allow to cool.
10 - Invert the baked knafeh immediately onto a serving platter. Pour half of the cooled syrup evenly over the hot pastry. Garnish with chopped pistachios and drizzle honey if using. Serve warm with extra syrup on the side.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cheese gets impossibly stretchy and molten while the phyllo stays shatteringly crisp—it's textural perfection that sounds impossible until you taste it.
  • Orange blossom and rose water transform simple sugar syrup into something that smells like a garden and tastes like a memory you didn't know you had.
  • It's impressive enough to serve at celebrations but straightforward enough that even your first attempt will impress people.
02 -
  • Never skip the cheese desalting step—I once tried to rush it and ended up with knafeh that tasted like a salt lick, which taught me humility the hard way.
  • Pour the syrup immediately onto the hot knafeh, not when it cools; the temperature difference allows the pastry to drink it in while staying crisp on top.
  • Kataifi can become gummy if it sits assembled in the dish for more than an hour before baking, so assemble just before the oven is ready.
03 -
  • Keep the syrup chilled until the knafeh comes out of the oven—the temperature contrast keeps the pastry crisp while the filling stays molten, creating that textural magic that makes people ask for the recipe.
  • If your kataifi seems too clumped when thawed, gently separate the strands with your fingertips before adding butter, which distributes the fat more evenly and ensures every strand browns beautifully.
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