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Kanafeh is a sweet pastry filled with cheese made with shredded phyllo dough and topped with syrup. It originated in Nablus, Palestine, and is popular in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Greece. The cheese mixture is made with a blend of sweet cheese and mozzarella, and the syrup is made with orange blossom water, sugar, and lemon juice. Chopped pistachios are added as a topping.
Also called knaffeh, kanafeh is a Mediterranean sweet that originated in the city of Nablus in Palestine. Nablus is still famous for this dessert, and indeed, the dish is often called Kanafeh Nablusi in this region. It is a sweet pastry filled with cheese made with a special dough and topped with syrup. While a variation can also be found in Greek cuisine, it is most popular in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine.
Kanafeh is made from a special type of dough called phyllo, or floss, which is shredded. This dough can come in rolled sheets or it can be shredded. When pre-shredded, it is often called kataifi paste. If the dough is in sheets, it must first be cut into thin strips. Keeping the sheets rolled while cutting is the easiest way to produce the long, tight, shredded dough needed for the treat. Sometimes, the strips crumble.
Normally, two types of cheese are included in kanafeh. A soft, sweet cheese, such as mascarpone or ricotta, and mozzarella are normally chosen. In Nablus, pasta is traditionally made with a local Nablusi cheese. The two cheeses are blended together and sometimes a mixture of milk and butter may be added to increase the creaminess.
To make kanafeh, butter is melted and combined with shredded phyllo. Care is taken to prevent the strands of dough from clumping together while mixing. After all of the phyllo is coated in butter, half of it is placed in a cake pan or circular baking dish.
The cheese mixture is then placed evenly on the phyllo. While it should be pressed firmly into place, the cheese shouldn’t be squeezed into the underlying dough. Once the cheese layer is complete, the second half of the dough is placed on top. The kanafeh is usually cooked for about an hour, until it turns a golden color.
The syrup that tops the kanafeh is usually made with orange blossom water, sugar, and lemon juice. Saffron can also be added. Plain water and sugar are boiled together and mixed until thick. Then lemon juice and saffron are added. After all the ingredients have been mixed, the orange blossom water is added.
Once cooled, the complete kanafeh can be removed from its baking dish by placing a serving dish on top of the dish and inverting the dish and plate. Then the pan can be removed. The syrup is poured over the finished dough. Chopped pistachios also complete this dessert.
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