Lebanese Knafeh Cheese Delight (Printable)

Warm stretchy cheese with crispy shredded phyllo and fragrant honey syrup in a Lebanese classic.

# What You Need:

→ Cheese Filling

01 - 14 oz Akawi cheese (or unsalted mozzarella), soaked and drained
02 - 7 oz ricotta cheese

→ Pastry

03 - 9 oz kataifi (shredded phyllo dough), thawed
04 - 7 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

→ Syrup

05 - 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
06 - 3/4 cup water
07 - 1 tbsp lemon juice
08 - 1 tbsp orange blossom water
09 - 1 tbsp rose water

→ Garnish

10 - 2 tbsp finely chopped pistachios
11 - 1 tbsp honey (optional, for drizzling)

# How to Make It:

01 - Set the oven to 350°F to prepare for baking.
02 - Soak Akawi cheese in water for several hours or overnight, changing water hourly to remove excess salt. Drain, pat dry, then shred or slice thinly.
03 - Mix the drained Akawi (or mozzarella) with ricotta cheese in a bowl and set aside.
04 - Place kataifi in a large bowl, gently separate strands, then pour melted butter over and mix until all strands are coated.
05 - Grease a 9-inch round baking dish. Spread half of the buttered kataifi evenly at the bottom, pressing down firmly to form a base.
06 - Spread the combined cheese evenly over the kataifi base.
07 - Cover cheese with remaining kataifi strands, gently pressing down to compact.
08 - Place in preheated oven and bake for 30–35 minutes until golden brown and crisp.
09 - While baking, combine sugar, water, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Bring to boil, then simmer 8–10 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in orange blossom and rose water. Allow to cool.
10 - Remove baked knafeh from oven and immediately invert onto serving platter. Pour half the cooled syrup evenly over the hot pastry.
11 - Sprinkle chopped pistachios and drizzle honey if desired. Serve warm with remaining syrup on the side.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • That magical contrast of crispy, buttery phyllo giving way to warm, stretchy cheese is pure magic in every bite.
  • The syrup soaks into the warm knafeh just enough to keep it from being dry, and the floral notes make it feel special without being fussy.
  • It actually looks intimidating to make, but once you understand the rhythm, you'll be confidently pulling it from the oven and impressing everyone.
02 -
  • Don't skip soaking and changing the water for Akawi cheese multiple times—that salt will ruin the dish if you rush it, and I learned this the hard way in my early attempts.
  • The syrup must be cool when it hits the hot knafeh, or you'll end up with a soggy mess instead of that perfect crispy-exterior, syrupy-interior magic.
  • Inverting onto the platter is less scary if you do it confidently and decisively—hesitation is what causes things to stick.
03 -
  • Buy the best quality orange blossom and rose water you can find—they're the difference between good knafeh and the kind people ask you to make again.
  • If your kitchen runs cold, letting the melted butter cool for a minute before mixing with kataifi prevents the strands from absorbing too much and becoming heavy.
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