Thin Turkish-Style Knafeh with Mascarpone and Vanilla Ice Cream

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Sugar Syrup

1. 1
   Bring the sugar and water to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer 5 minutes, until the sugar melts and the syrup thickens slightly.

   ⚙ SimmeringStove

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
2. 2
   Add the lemon juice.

   💡The lemon keeps the sugar from crystallizing again.
3. 3
   Cool completely.

   💡Cold syrup on a hot pastry soaks in evenly.

For the Pastry Filling

1. 4
   In a bowl, mix the ricotta and mozzarella.

   Bowl

To assemble

1. 5
   Break the kadaif strands into small pieces and mix with the melted butter.
2. 6
   Spread half the kadaif in round, wide and shallow 30 cm pan, in a layer only half a centimeter thick.

   Round pan
3. 7
   Spread an even layer of the cheese filling on top.
4. 8
   Cover with a thin layer of the rest of the kadaif and press down well so the layers stick.
5. 9
   Bake on the bottom rack of a 220°C (430°F) oven 20–25 minutes, until the knafeh browns. For the last 3 minutes, move it under the top broiler, until dark brown spots appear on the surface of the knafeh.

   ⚙ BakingOvenRound pan

   💡Check by the cue (until…), not just the clock: every oven bakes a little differently.
6. 10
   Drizzle the syrup over the hot knafeh and wait 2 minutes.

   💡Hot knafeh and cold syrup (or the other way around), never both hot: that way the syrup soaks in and the kadaif stays crisp.
7. 11
   Top with spoonfuls of the mascarpone using a spoon dipped in hot water, and add the ice cream on one side.

   Spoon / teaspoon (regular)
8. 12
   Sprinkle the pistachios on top and serve immediately, before the ice cream melts.