Kunafa Recipe (Knafeh): Crispy Kataifi Pastry Filled with Qishta Cream, Ghee & Blossom Syrup

• 400 g kunafa pastry threads (kataifi), thawed and pulled or snipped into 2 cm lengths
• 180 g melted ghee plus 2 tbsp icing sugar
• For the qishta filling: 2 cans of 170 g each (340 g total) creamy qishta, 400 ml whole milk, 3 tbsp cornstarch and 1 tsp orange blossom water (optional: 150 g unsalted mozzarella or desalted akkawi cheese)
• For the sugar syrup (qatr): 400 g sugar, 200 ml water, 1 tsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp orange blossom or rose water
• Generous handful of crushed green Aleppo pistachios to garnish

Preparation Steps

1. 1Make the syrup first so it cools completely: simmer the sugar, water and lemon juice in a saucepan for 10 minutes until lightly thickened, stir in the orange blossom water and set aside to chill.
2. 2Prepare the cream filling: whisk the cornstarch into the cold milk in a saucepan, then cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes until very thick; remove from the heat and fold in the two cans of qishta cream and orange blossom water until silky.
3. 3In a large bowl, rub the shredded kunafa threads with the icing sugar and two-thirds of the warm melted ghee using your fingertips until every strand is coated; brush a 28 cm round baking pan generously with ghee.
4. 4Press half of the buttered kunafa threads firmly into the base of the pan using the flat bottom of a glass, spread the qishta filling across the centre leaving a 1 cm border around the edge, and scatter the remaining kunafa threads gently on top, drizzling with the rest of the ghee.
5. 5Bake in a preheated oven at 200 °C for 25 minutes until deeply golden and crisp on top and bottom, invert immediately onto a serving platter, pour the cold syrup over the piping-hot kunafa and shower with crushed pistachios.