Knafeh with Cheese

Cook Time 1 hour

Servings 6-8

Ingredients

Sugar syrup

2 cups white sugar

1 cup water

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp orange blossom water

Knafeh

375g knafeh sha’riyah pastry (aka kataifi), placed in room temperature in its packaging for an hour

1 cup ghee, melted but not boiled. Reserve 3 tbsp for greasing the pan

150g Akkawi cheese, cut into quarters, soaked for 2 hours in room temperature water with water changed every 30 minutes, grate after drained and dried well

200g grated mozzarella cheese (use mozzarella balls)

2 tbsp white sugar

⅓ cup finely chopped pistachios, to serve

Method

Add the sugar syrup ingredients to a small pot. Gently mix once and bring to the boil. Allow to boil for 3 minutes then reduce to a steady simmer for a further 10 minutes. Transfer to a small pitcher and allow to cool to room temperature.

On a chopping board, cut the knafeh pastry into 2 cm increments and transfer to a mixing bowl. Pour the ghee all over and mix until all the strands are covered well. Divide the knafeh pastry into two portions.

Grease a shallow round baking tray (approximately 25cm diameter) with some of the reserved ghee. Using one portion of the prepared knafeh mixture, press tightly onto the base of the pan ensuring it is spread evenly.

Grate the drained and dried Akkawi cheese and toss with the grated mozzarella cheese and sugar. Spread evenly over the pressed layer of the knafeh pastry. Cover the cheese with the remaining knafeh pastry ensuring that the layer is tightly pressed over the cheese with no gaps.

Heat the oven at 180°C fan-forced. Once the oven is ready, place the prepared Knafeh in the oven. Cook until the top is golden and crunchy, which will take approximately 35-45 minutes.

Remove from the oven and carefully flip onto a large flat platter. Immediately pour cooled sugar syrup generously all over. Decorate with the chopped pistachios and serve hot.