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Kadaif or Kadayif (Ricotta Cheese Kunafa)

Kadaif or Kadayif (Ricotta Cheese Kunafa)Kadaif or Kadayif (Ricotta Cheese Kunafa)Kadaif or Kadayif (Ricotta Cheese Kunafa)Kadaif or Kadayif (Ricotta Cheese Kunafa)

This beloved Middle Eastern dessert goes by many names including Kunafa and Kadaif. It's a decadent pastry using shredded phyllo dough instead of phyllo sheets. This easy version has a creamy ricotta cheese filling and clove-infused syrup.

Prep time: PT15M

Cook time: PT50M

Total time: PT185M

Rating

5 stars (9 reviews)

Keywords

Christmas, holidays

Ingredients

Categories

Cuisine

Steps

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Add the kadaif dough to a large bowl and break it up with your fingers so it's loose (no chunks of dough). Combine the kadaif dough with the clarified butter and mix with your hands to coat thoroughly.
  2. Spread half the dough in a 8-by-12-inch baking pan or dish (alternatively use a round pan of similar size), pressing down lightly. Spread the filling over the surface and then top with the rest of the buttery dough, pressing down firmly.
  3. Bake until golden brown, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cut into a 4-by-6 grid to yield 24 squares. Cool completely before moving on.
  4. Prepare the syrup by dissolving the sugar in the water over high heat. Bring to a boil then add the lemon juice and cloves. Lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and rest for about 17 or 18 minutes until the syrup is warm, but not too hot (about 160 to 165°F).
  5. Discard the cloves and ladle the very warm syrup over the pan of kunafa and let it soak until mostly absorbed, about 1 hour. Most of the syrup should soak into the dough. Use a sharp knife and go over all the previous cuts, making sure the kunafa is cut all the way through before serving.

Nutitrion

  1. Serving Size: 1 piece
  2. Calories: 188 kcal
  3. Carbohydrates: 25 g
  4. Protein: 3 g
  5. Fat: 9 g
  6. Saturated Fat: 5 g
  7. Cholesterol: 18 mg
  8. Sodium: 61 mg
  9. Sugar: 17 g
  10. Unsaturated Fat: 2 g

Reviews