Künefe Food

KüNEFE

Steps:

• First start with preparing the syrup. Pour sugar and water in a medium size pot and let it boil. Once it boils, remove from heat and let it cool.
• Remove the shredded dough from package and shred it once more with a sharp knife or food processor until the shredded phyllo dough pieces are very small.
• Melt butter in a pan and start to add shredded phyllo dough and mix with butter very well.
• Add the milk and continue mixing until butter and milk are well combined into the shredded phyllo dough and remove from heat. Then divide the buttered phyllo in to two portion.
• In a round pan or pyrex, place the first half of the buttered phyllo dough and press it with spatula. Distribute the shredded unsalted mozzarella cheese evenly on top of the buttered phyllo dough and press the cheese with spatula.
• Add the remaining second half of the buttered phyllo dough on the top of the cheese and distribute evenly. No cheese should be seen after you cover the top and then press it evenly.
• Heat the oven to 190 C. Place the pan and bake for 50 minutes or until it gets golden brown color.
• After 50 minutes, remove it from oven and pour the syrup on hot Künefe. Let it absorb the syrup about 3 minutes and it will be ready to serve.

KUNEFE (A SWEET CHEESE PASTRY MADE WITH KADAIFI)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375ºF.
• Place kadafi in a food processor and chop up finely.
• Add butter and milk and line a 8 inch square heavy baking dish with half of this mixture.
• Mix the cheeses with the pistachios, sugar& nutmeg and spread onto shredded filo.
• Top with the remaining shredded pastry.
• Bake for 45 minutes.
• Make a sugar syrup by boiling water with sugar and lemon juice.
• Cook until reduced by a third and it becomes nice and thick.
• Stir in rose water to taste.
• When kunefe comes out of the oven, ladle 2/3 of the hot syrup over it and save the rest to pass while eating.
• Serve hot.

KUNEFE

Steps:

• For the syrup: Put the sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring it to a boil, lower the heat to medium low and simmer until it thickens a bit, 10 to 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the syrup cool to room temperature.
• For the kunefe: Cut the kadayif into small pieces and put it in a large bowl. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter, add it to the bowl and mix with a spoon to make sure all of the kadayif pieces are coated in butter.
• Coat the bottoms of two 5-inch kunefe pans completely with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Spoon out a quarter of the kadayif mixture into one of the pans, spread and press down using a spoon. Crumble 1 ounce of the sweet cheese onto the kadayif, leaving about a 1/2-inch border on all sides. Top with another quarter of the kadayif mixture and press with your hands.
• Place the pan over medium-low heat and cook until golden on the bottom (there will be an aroma of toasted nuts), 4 to 6 minutes. Place the other prepared pan over the kunefe and flip (be careful, the pan is hot). Place it back on the heat and cook uncovered until the underside is golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat, drizzle 1/4 cup of the syrup all over the kunefe and top with 1 tablespoon of the ground pistachios. Re-butter the pans and repeat with the remaining kadayif, cheese, syrup and pistachios. Serve immediately with extra syrup for drizzling.