Cheese Knafeh

A golden, crispy pastry crust that cracks under the fork, revealing a melted and stretchy cheese heart. The rose syrup soaks through for a perfect balance between butter richness and floral sweetness.

• Prep time: 20 min
• Cook time: 35 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 850
• Protein: 21 g
• Carbs: 87 g
• Fat: 47 g

Ingredients

• 166.7 g Phyllo dough ( very finely chopped )
• 100 g Minimum butter sweet ( melted )
• 200 g Buffalo milk mozzarella ("di bufala") ( well drained and chopped )
• 133.3 g White sugar
• 100 ml Mineral water
• 0.3 piece Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f. ( juiced )
• 0.7 tbsp rose water
• 20 g Roasted salted pistachio optional ( crushed )
• 166.7 g Kataifi pastry (shredded phyllo) ( finely chopped )
• 133.3 g Akkawi cheese ( desalted and chopped )

Instructions

1. Syrup preparation

   In a saucepan, mix the white sugar and mineral water. Bring to a boil without stirring. When the mixture becomes syrupy and coats the spoon, add the lemon juice and rose water. Remove from heat and let cool completely.

2. Dough preparation

   Finely chop the phyllo pastry and kataifi dough to obtain filaments. Melt the unsalted butter. Pour the butter over the doughs and rub between your hands so that each strand is well coated and shiny.

3. Assembling the knafeh

   Generously butter a round mold. Firmly press half of the dough mixture into the bottom. Mix the drained mozzarella and chopped akkawi cheese, then spread over the top, leaving a centimeter at the edges. Cover with the rest of the dough and press down.

4. Baking and finishing

   Bake at 190°C. Cook until the edges pull away and the top is golden brown. Upon removing from the oven, immediately pour the cold syrup over the hot knafeh. Sprinkle with crushed toasted pistachios.

Chef's tips

• The thermal shock is crucial: cold syrup on a boiling cake to keep the crunch.
• If using mozzarella, squeeze it in a cloth to extract all moisture, otherwise the pastry will be soggy.

Storage

Keeps for 2 days in the fridge, but the crunch will fade. Reheat gently in the oven to revive the cheese.