How long does it take to make Knafeh?

The usual filling is ricotta and mozzarella in about equal amounts; soak salty cheese in water for one to two hours.

40 minTotal

6 minActive time

34 minSetting

Step by Step

#	What to do	How long
1	Bring the sugar and water to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer 5 minutes	5 min
2	Add the lemon juice and rose water	1 min
3	Cool completely	—
4	In a bowl, mix the yellow cheese and ricotta	1 min
5	Break the kadaif strands into small pieces and mix with the melted butter	1 min
6	Grease a round pan and spread half the kadaif in it	1 min
7	Spread an even layer of the cheese filling on top	1 min
8	Cover with the rest of the kadaif	—
9	Bake in a 180°C (355°F) oven 25–30 minutes	28 min
10	As soon as it comes out of the oven, invert the knafeh onto a plate	—
11	Pour the syrup over the hot knafeh	1 min
12	Serve hot	1 min

How to Tell It's Done

until the sugar melts and the syrup thickens slightly
until the knafeh browns

Tips

The lemon keeps the sugar from crystallizing again.
Cold syrup on a hot pastry soaks in evenly.
Press the bottom kadaif layer down firmly: it will be the top side after inverting.

Common Mistakes

A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
Check by the cue (until…), not just the clock: every oven bakes a little differently.
Hot knafeh and cold syrup (or the other way around), never both hot: that way the syrup soaks in and the kadaif stays crisp.

More Ways

Melt butter, preferably clarified, and mix it with the kadaif until all the strands are coated.
A syrup of equal parts sugar and water, with rose water or orange blossom water, cooled.
Turn the knafeh out onto a plate, pour cold syrup over the hot knafeh and serve immediately.

The full recipe: Knafeh →

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Kadaif Filled with Cheese and Pistachios

Knafeh - Arab Cheese Pastry

Osmalieh – Cheese and Kadaif Pastry

Cheese Knafeh – Middle Eastern Dessert in Syrup

Kadaif with Cheese and Syrup

Knafeh — Arab Cheese Pastry in Syrup