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Kunefe Kunafa Kanafeh

February 3, 2016 by Peter Block 21 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which means I may receive a commission for purchases made through links. I will only recommend products that I have personally used! Learn more on my Private Policy page.

This is the follow up post following my Chicken Shawarma Recipe from Monday.  This Kunufe/Kunafa/Knafeh is the true dinner TOPPER with its roots in the Middle East.  Think of this dessert loosely as the Middle East version of a cheese danish.  The dessert is finished off by soaking it with a sweet syrup.  Bottom line, this is a big WINNER.  You will want to make this dessert and impress your friends and they do not have to know how easy it is to put together.

Kunefe/Kunafa/Kanafeh #dessert #middleeastern #phyllo | feedyoursoul2.com

Kunefe/Kunafa/Kanafeh from Feed Your Soul Too

PicMonkey Collage single
Kunefe/Kunafa/Kanafeh #dessert #middleeastern #phyllo | feedyoursoul2.com

Kunefe/Kunafa/Kanafeh

Kunefe/Kunafa/Kanafeh

This Kunefe/Kunafa/Kanafeh is so good and so easy to make.  Your friends will love it.  It is surprising dessert because it is not like a traditional American dessert.  We typically make cakes, cupcakes and yes, they are chocolate.  This is basically a cheese dessert.  The crust, like a pie, is a dough, phyllo dough.  The phyllo dough is shredded dough and it is added to the Cuisinart to shred some more.  Then the phyllo dough is mixed with melted butter.  The melted butter helps the dough stay together.  Half the phyllo dough is placed on the bottom of a baking dish.  Press it down, and then, top with the shredded cheese.  Finish, by topping it with the rest of the phyllo dough.  It is baked in an oven, and as you can see, it gets such a great crisp on it.  The true final touch is the sweet syrup that is drizzled on the dessert.  If you think this dessert is not sweet enough for you, try it and you will change your mind for sure.  I have the biggest sweet tooth and this was amazing.  Have I expressed enough how much I liked this dish?

Kunefe/Kunafa/Kanafeh

Kunefe/Kunafa/Kanafeh

One final thought to share is that the best thing about this dessert was the culmination to a great evening.  Food brings people together.  Culture brings people together.  When you put food, culture and friends together, you have the opportunity to have an amazing experience.  This was a great night!

Kunefe/Kunafa/Kanafeh

Kunefe Kunafa Kanafeh
2016-02-03 02:44:24
Serves 8
A Middle Eastern pastry dessert made with shredded phyllo dough and crumbled cheeses.
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
40 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
40 min
Ingredients
  1. 1/2 pound shredded phyllo (called: kataifi or kunefe)
  2. 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  3. 2 cups mozzarella, shredded
  4. 2 cups feta cheese, crumbled
  5. Pistachios for garnish
Orange Blossom Syrup
  1. 1 cup sugar
  2. 1 cup water
  3. 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  4. 2 teaspoons orange blossom water
Instructions
  1. Break the pastry apart into a number of the strands.
  2. Pulse in the food processor. Put in a bowl and set aside.
  3. Melt the butter.
  4. Mix the butter into the pastry with your hands in a large bowl until coated.
  5. Press half of the phyllo dough into the bottom of a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.
  6. Crumble the cheeses with your hands.
  7. Press it onto the top of the dough in the baking dish.
  8. Press the remaining dough onto the cheese and bake in a preheated 350F oven until golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.
Orange Blossom Syrup
  1. To make the orange blossom syrup, in a small heavy saucepan, combine sugar, water and lemon juice and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
  2. Serve the dish warm covered in the orange blossom syrup. Garnish with the pistachios. Enjoy!
Feed Your Soul Too http://www.feedyoursoul2.com/
The cast of characters for the Kanafeh and then for the sweet syrup.

Ingredients

Ingredients

Simple Syrup Ingredients

Simple Syrup Ingredients

Phyllo dough shredded and the cheese crumbled.

Shredding Phyllo Dough in Cuisinart

Shredding Phyllo Dough in Cuisinart

Phyllo Shredded Shredded in Bowl

Phyllo Shredded Shredded in Bowl

Cheese Crumbled

Cheese Crumbled

The layering of the dessert.

1st Layer in Dish

1st Layer in Dish

Cheese Layer Added

Cheese Layer Added

Top Shredded Layer Added

Top Shredded Layer Added

The Kunefe/Kunafa/Kanafeh out of the oven, and then, plated.

Kunefe/Kunafa/Kanafeh

Kunefe/Kunafa/Kanafeh Plated

Kunefe/Kunafa/Kanafeh #dessert #middleeastern #phyllo | feedyoursoul2.com

Kunefe/Kunafa/Kanafeh from Feed Your Soul Too

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Filed Under: Desserts Tagged With: cheese, dessert, phyllo dough

Previous Post: « Chicken Shawarma Recipe
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Comments

  1. Cynthia Rusincovitch

    February 22, 2016 at 8:16 pm

    I had no idea that was cheese on top! I thought it was dried pasta or maybe a sliced vegetable of sorts! This looks great!

    Reply
    • Peter Block

      February 22, 2016 at 8:18 pm

      Thx. You could really experiment with cheeses you like on this recipe.

      Reply
  2. Danya | Love and Cilantro

    February 22, 2016 at 6:43 pm

    I’ve never heard of this dessert either but it looks delicious! I love using phyllo dough but surprisingly I’ve never used it in dessert before! I’ll definitely be trying this. Thanks for the recipe 🙂

    Reply
    • Peter Block

      February 22, 2016 at 7:06 pm

      I had never used it in a dessert before either. I will definitely do it again.

      Reply
  3. Levan

    February 22, 2016 at 11:16 am

    TRIPLE K goodness! 🙂
    Love the title, the photo — and I’ve actually never tried Kanafeh before. Definitely keen to try now!

    Reply
    • Peter Block

      February 22, 2016 at 12:26 pm

      Glad you like the title. I found the research interesting to see what different cultures called it.

      Reply
    • Peter Block

      February 22, 2016 at 12:44 pm

      You do. It is easy and so good.

      Reply
  4. Sam | Ahead of Thyme

    February 21, 2016 at 1:45 pm

    I have never tried this but this looks gorgeous!! Thanks for sharing the recipe, I can’t wait to try it!

    Reply
    • Peter Block

      February 22, 2016 at 12:41 pm

      It is so easy. It will impress your guests.

      Reply
  5. Christine | Vermilion Roots

    February 21, 2016 at 12:12 pm

    I believe I tried something similar when we visited Istanbul. It’s always nice to get surprises on the dining table, and I can’t believe how easy it is to make this. Love discovering dishes from different cultures.

    Reply
    • Peter Block

      February 21, 2016 at 12:29 pm

      I too love finding things from different cultures. And yes, it is so easy and so good!

      Reply
  6. Heather

    February 4, 2016 at 10:15 pm

    The recipe reminds me of a kicked up version of baklava.. but with creamy cheeses instead. The syrup is a perfect flavor combination to compliment this and the pistachios are a great crunchy add on. I have never tried this before but your recipe sounds amazing and the pictures are beautiful!!

    Reply
    • Peter Block

      February 5, 2016 at 1:06 pm

      Heather, I think you are right on. Baklava would definitely be the Greek cousin of this dish.

      Reply
  7. Healing Tomato

    February 4, 2016 at 9:02 pm

    This is a great recipe. I have never heard of Kunefe, so, this will be a great recipe to try.

    Reply
    • Peter Block

      February 5, 2016 at 1:07 pm

      Try it. You will definitely like it!

      Reply
  8. Felesha

    February 4, 2016 at 8:27 pm

    What a delicious blend of flavors!! Sweet and savory work so well together. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Peter Block

      February 5, 2016 at 1:07 pm

      That is exactly the way to describe it. Really cool for a dessert.

      Reply
  9. Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry

    February 4, 2016 at 3:11 am

    One of my favourite ever restaurants serves a version of these so I am rather excited to find a recipe to use.

    Reply
    • Peter Block

      February 4, 2016 at 8:56 am

      I have never seen it in a restaurant but if I do, I will definitely order it.

      Reply
  10. Healing Tomato

    February 3, 2016 at 11:10 pm

    I have never heard of Kunufe. This is a great recipe and it looks like the perfect recipe for comfort food.

    Reply
    • Peter Block

      February 4, 2016 at 8:56 am

      If you get the chance, give it a try.

      Reply

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Hi everyone. My name is Peter and this blog is a labor of love expressing my passion for cooking and bringing family and friends around the kitchen table. I (now) make gluten free and mostly healthy recipes for home chefs that may just impress your friends. Read More…

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