Knafi Lebanese Pastry Recipes

KNAFEH (MIDDLE EASTERN PASTRY DESSERT) RECIPE

Steps:

• Add the water, rose water, orange blossom water, sugar, and lemon juice to a pot. Stir well.
• Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Stir until the sugar has dissolved completely.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC).
• Spread the phyllo dough apart using your fingers. Place dough in a large bowl.
• Melt butter. Add coloring to the butter and mix.
• Pour butter over the phyllo and mix with your hands tearing the phyllo. Saturate the topping in butter. (Use gloves to make sure you don't dye your fingers!)
• Cover the bottom of the tray with the phyllo dough topping (minus a handful to place on top).
• Drain the cheese and squeeze out as much water as you can. Press the cheese into the tray on top of the dough. Add the last handful and spread thinly over the top.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes (the cheese will have melted).
• Remove from the oven and flip tray into a slightly larger tray/plate.
• Pour sugar syrup over knafeh. Sprinkle with crushed pistachio nuts.
• Serve immediately.

KNAFI (LEBANESE PASTRY)

Steps:

• First, defrost the phyllo dough. Do this by shredding the phyllo in a bowl continuously till completely defrosted. While you are doing the shredding, start adding the butter(this is done so the dough does not stick together).
• When this process is complete and the dough is shredded thoroughly, separate the dough into two equal portions.
• In a well buttered 9x13-inch pan, spread out the dough thoroughly, but do not compress. Once the dough is spread evenly, start preparing the Ricotta cheese. Make patties, similar to hamburger patties, but with the cheese.
• Lay the cheese patties onto the prepared dough in the pan.
• Once the layer of Ricotta cheese is completely covering the dough, lay the second half of the dough unto the cheese so that it is evenly distributed.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F Once preheated, place the pan in the middle of the oven for about 45 minutes. What you need to look for, is that the dough browns.
• Once this occurs, you will need a larger pan in which you will flip the Knafe so the the bottom is on top.
• Then bake again till the browning occurs on the adjacent side. Once browned on both sides, the Knafe is finished.
• The last step is to top the Knafe with the pine nuts and the sweet syrup and enjoy!
• Sweet Syrup:.
• In a pot, combine 3 cups of sugar with 1 1/2 cups of water. Mix and heat over stove till boiling process. Once boiling add a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice and boil for a few minutes more for thickening process. Let cool and use over Knafe once done baking.

KNAFEH

Steps:

• Mix cheese, sugar, and orange blossom water together.
• Chop knafeh dough with a sharp knife. Mix with 1 3/4 cups hot butter over low fire for 15 minutes, or until dough absorbs all the butter.
• Mix 1/4 cup butter, knafeh coloring, and spread in a 17x12 inch pan. Sprinkle pine nuts evenly.
• Spread 2/3 of the dough in the pan over the nuts and press well. Spread the cheese mixture over dough evenly. Cover with the rest of the dough and press well.
• Bake at 400 degrees in a preheated oven for 30 minutes. (Place on lower rack).
• Add thin attar. Flip the tray over in another tray of the same size. Return to the oven and bake for 10 more minutes.
• Garnish with pistachios and serve hot!