Genuine Knafeh (Kunafa) Recipe with Step By Step Video

Knafeh is a basic Center Jap crunchy, buttery dessert produced from shredded phyllo pastry with a layer of scrumptious home made pastry cream known as Qeshta and likewise pronounced Ishtah. Drizzled with easy syrup and garnished with chopped nuts, normally pistachios.   

Genuine Knafeh recipe, generally pronounced Kunafa, is a standard Center Jap dessert normally full of pastry cream (ashta or qeshta) or candy Arabic cheeses like Nabulsi or Akkawi. These cheeses are much like Mozzarella cheese.

Bake it till golden brown, then soak it with a easy syrup scented with rose water or orange blossom water. It’s a well-liked dessert for particular events resembling Eid or weddings. I additionally made a low-calorie kunafa with cream. The low-calorie model tastes much like the genuine, and you will not want a phyllo pastry however freshly ready bread crumbs.

🥘 INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED

The elements to make a recipe of kunafa dessert is easy and minimal, you would possibly discover it somewhat tough to get the shredded phyllo pastry, however you possibly can order it on-line or discover it in a Center Jap store close to you.

For the Knafeh Dough

Kunafa dough: That is in all probability the trickiest ingredient to pay money for; you possibly can all the time discover it in a Center Jap retailer.

Confectioner’s Sugar: You want confectioner’s sugar (also called powder sugar) to toss the strands of Kunafa dough in.

Ghee: Ghee has a a lot stronger taste than butter. Use it as a substitute of substituting it with melted butter. Nevertheless, if you cannot get ghee, go for melted butter.

For the Syrup

Sugar: This, in fact, makes the bottom of our easy syrup.

Water: The opposite important ingredient to make our easy sugar syrup.

Lemon juice: It will not let the syrup crystallize.

Rose water:  We’ll use some to fragrance the syrup. Nevertheless, many individuals don’t love its odor or taste, so you possibly can omit it and nonetheless benefit from the Knafeh.

For the Egg-Free Pastry Cream

Entire milk is the muse and primary ingredient for making pastry cream (Qeshta).

Heavy cream: To get you that actual taste of genuine Qeshta with out hours upon hours of labor, I’ve used my secret elements – heavy cream! 

Cornstarch: It’s going to thicken the milk-cream combination to get the best consistency.

For Garnishing

Pistachios: Crushed pistachios are what’s used historically. However be at liberty to make use of some other nuts when you’re allergic to pistachios.

🔪 MAKING KNAFEH STE-BY-STEP

Making Kunafa can look intimidating, nevertheless it’s not. Watch my video or the step-by-step pictures beneath to see how easy and straightforward it’s to make.

Put together the Sugar Syrup

Step 1

In a small saucepan, mix sugar and water. Combine it properly and use medium-high warmth to boil the combination.

Step 2

Let it boil for 9 minutes, however if you’d like the syrup to be thicker, boil it for 13 minutes.

Step 3

Flip off the warmth, add the rose water and lemon juice, and blend it properly. Enable the syrup to return to room temperature earlier than drizzling it on the Knafeh. 

Making the Pastry Cream

Step 1

Add all of the pastry cream elements to a saucepan, i.e., the milk, heavy cream, and cornstarch, and blend all of them properly.

Step 2

Place the saucepan on medium warmth and stir till it boils and the feel turns thick and creamy. Flip off the warmth and maintain apart.

Getting ready the Kunafa Dough

Step 1

Chop the strands of the shredded phyllo dough into inch-long items (the video reveals you precisely how I did it). Alternatively, you possibly can place the dough in a meals processor and pulse it thrice. 

Step 2

Place all of the chopped Knafeh dough strands right into a giant bowl and attempt to separate the shredded Knafeh along with your arms to cease them from sticking to one another.

Step 3

Add the confectioner’s sugar and blend along with your arms so it’s evenly dispersed.

Step 4

Pour half the ghee onto the dough strands and blend it properly. Coat all of the dough with ghee by rubbing it between your fingers. Add the remaining half and repeat the method.

Assembling and Baking the Knafeh

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 400F/200C. Generously butter or grease a 10-inch or 9-inch baking dish. Even when the pan is nonstick, proceed with this step since it would give the Kunafa that lovely golden colour.

Step 2

Place greater than half of the prepped Kunafa dough into the greased pan and distribute it evenly. Watch the video and the picture beneath to learn the way.

Step 3

Pour the pastry cream (Qeshta) you revamped the prepped Kunafa layer and use a spatula to unfold it evenly.

Step 4

Distribute the remaining knafeh dough over the pastry cream and gently press down along with your arms. 

Step 5

Place the Knafeh within the oven and bake it for 30 to 50 minutes. The objective right here is to make the underside of the kunafa golden.

Step 6

Flip off the oven and activate the broiler to present a golden colour to the floor of the kunafa.

Step 7

As soon as the colour of the knafeh crust is golden on the highest as properly, take away the Kunafa from the oven and let it cool within the baking pan for about 6 minutes.

Soak with Syrup and Garnish

Invert the Kunafa on a serving plate and pour the easy syrup evenly. Go away some syrup on the aspect. Some individuals love including extra syrup to their Kunafa. Garnish it with chopped or crushed pistachios.

💭 TIPS TO MAKE THE BEST KNAFEH

• Take the Kunafa dough out of the freezer 40 minutes earlier than making the Kunafa. You may as well place the frozen Knafeh dough within the fridge in a single day to thaw.
• Don’t use melted butter on this recipe; butter’s taste is just not as robust as ghee, and with butter, the Kunafa would possibly burn from the underside as a substitute of getting a golden colour.
• Guarantee to preheat the oven; it’s important to make crispy and scrumptious Genuine Knafeh.
• As a substitute of creating home made pastry cream, you should use the one bought within the Center Jap shops known as Qeshta.
• By no means pour sizzling syrup over sizzling Knafeh. The Kunafa will flip soggy. (I might nonetheless eat it, although!)
• Some add meals coloring to make the Kunafa look extra appetizing. Add a number of drops from the meals coloring within the ghee and blend properly, then add it to the dough when you want to use meals coloring.
• In case you are allergic to pistachios, use different nuts as a substitute.
• You can also make each the syrup and the pastry cream upfront. Refrigerate the syrup for as much as a month, however the cream can solely be refrigerated for 3 days.

📖 DELICIOUS VARIATIONS 

Jibneh (Cheese-fillings): In some international locations, like Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria, particular candy cheese is used as a substitute of ishtah. Common ones embrace Akkawi or Nabulsi cheese. If you happen to ever need to use these, soak them in water for at the least 4 to five hours to attract out their saltiness since they’re naturally very salty. You may as well use contemporary mozzarella cheese.

Mixture of cream and cheese: Some individuals want a mixture and blend each the pastry cream (qeshta) with jibneh (cheese).

Up to date variations: These days, you’ll see individuals filling kunafah with chocolate, nuts, and even caramelized fruits resembling apples.

Variations in Coloration: You’ll generally discover that the Kunafa you had was shiny orange. It is because, in some international locations, meals coloring is added to it. If you happen to want so as to add it, please learn the notes within the recipe card beneath.

💬 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

🍲 MORE MIDDLE EASTERN DESSERT

🌡️ STORING AND REHEATING

You’ll be able to retailer leftover Knafeh in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3 days. However only a honest warning, you’ll discover the pastry cream layer being absorbed by the Knafeh. 

You’ll be able to reheat refrigerated Kunafa within the oven at 350F/180C. Place it in an oven-friendly dish for 7 to 10 minutes, relying on how large the slice is.

I like to recommend reheating it in an oven to a microwave because it’ll provide you with a greater crunchy texture. However if you wish to use a microwave, place it in a microwave-friendly dish and warmth it for 20 to 30 seconds.

📖 Recipe

Genuine Knafeh (Kunafa) Recipe

Learn to make genuine, Knafeh step-by-step. A Center-Jap dessert produced from shredded phyllo, full of cream or cheese and drizzled with syrup.

Print

Fee

Course: Dessert

Delicacies: Center Jap

Key phrase: knafeh, kunafa

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook dinner Time: 40 minutes minutes

Complete Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 12 individuals

Energy: 459kcal

Creator: Muna Kenny

Substances

To Prep the Kunafa dough:

• 350 grams Kunafa dough
• 2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
• ¾ cup melted ghee

To Make the Egg-free Pastry Cream:

• 2 cup entire milk
• 1 cup heavy cream don’t whip it
• 4 tablespoon cornstarch

To Make the Easy Sugar Syrup:

• 2 cup sugar
• 1 ½ cup water
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice or rose water non-compulsory

Directions

TO MAKE THE SYRUP:

• In a small pan, add the sugar and water, combine properly, and produce to a boil. Let it boil for 9 minutes, however if you’d like the syrup to be thicker, boil for 13 minutes.

• Flip off the warmth and add the rose water or the lemon juice; combine properly. Some add lemon juice whereas the syrup is boiling, nevertheless it takes away the flavour of the lemon. Therefore, I want including it after turning off the warmth.

• Enable the syrup to return to room temperature.

TO MAKE THE PASTRY CREAM:

• Add all of the pastry cream elements, the milk, heavy cream, and cornstarch, in a saucepan and blend properly.

• Place on medium warmth and stir till it boils and turns into thick and creamy in texture. Flip off the warmth.

MAKING THE KUNAFA

• Activate the oven to 200C/400F.

• Reduce the Kunafa dough into one inch lengthy; you can too place the Kunafa dough in a meals processor and pulse three to 4 occasions.

• Place the Kunafa dough in a big mixing bowl and attempt to separate the shredded Kunafa from sticking collectively along with your arms.

• Add the confectioners’ sugar to the dough and blend along with your arms.

• Pour half the ghee and blend properly, ensuring to coat all of the dough by rubbing the dough between your fingers. Add the remaining half and blend properly. The amount of the Kunafa dough will scale back somewhat after including the ghee.

• Butter/grease a ten or 9-inch baking pan generously. Even when the pan have been nonstick, the grease or butter would give a golden colour to the Kunafa when baking.

• Place somewhat greater than half of the Kunafa dough into the greased pan and distribute evenly. Attempt to press the dough down and to the perimeters to create edges. To make sure that the Kunafa is pressed down correctly, place parchment paper over the Kunafa, place a smaller pan (8 inches or 6 inches) over the parchment paper, and begin urgent from the center to the perimeters as proven within the video.

• Pour the pastry cream over the beforehand ready Kunafa and, utilizing a spatula, unfold evenly.

• Distribute the remaining Kunafa dough over the pastry cream and gently press down along with your arms.

• Bake within the preheated oven for 30 to 50 minutes, relying on how sizzling your oven will get. The objective right here is to make the underside of the Kunafa flip golden.

• Flip off the oven and activate the broiler to present a golden colour to the floor. In some ovens, you’ll not should activate the broiler because the warmth is evenly distributed, however I’ve seen that you want to activate the broiler in most fuel ovens.

• Take away the Kunafa from the oven, let it cool whereas within the baking pan for six minutes.

• Invert the Kunafa onto a serving plate and pour the syrup evenly on high of it. Go away some syrup on the aspect. Some individuals love including extra syrup to their Kunafa.

• Garnish with chopped or crushed pistachios.

• Serve sizzling or heat with espresso or tea.

Notes

• Take the Kunafa dough out of the freezer 40 minutes earlier than making the Kunafa.
• You may as well place the frozen Kunafa dough within the fridge in a single day to thaw.
• Don’t use melted butter on this recipe, the flavour of butter is just not as robust as ghee, and with butter, the Kunafa would possibly burn from the underside as a substitute of getting a golden colour.
• Make certain to preheat the oven; it’s important to make crispy and scrumptious Kunafa.
• As a substitute of creating home made pastry cream, you should use the one bought within the Center Jap shops known as Qeshta.
• By no means pour sizzling syrup over sizzling Kunafa. The Kunafa will flip soggy. (I might nonetheless eat it, although!)
• Some add meals coloring to make the Kunafa look extra appetizing. Add a number of drops from the meals coloring within the ghee and blend properly, then add it to the dough when you want to use meals coloring.
• In case you are allergic to pistachios, use different nuts as a substitute.
• You can also make each the syrup and the pastry cream upfront. Extra within the put up above.

Vitamin

Serving: 1 Serving | Energy: 459kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 7g | Fats: 24g | Saturated Fats: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 1g | Monounsaturated Fats: 7g | Ldl cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 264mg | Potassium: 77mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 526IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 112mg | Iron: 1mg