Kunafa with cream

Kunafa, also called knafeh, is a traditional Middle Eastern dessert that according to some stories was created during Ramadan. The dessert is made by layering shredded kataifi dough drizzled with or soaked in flavoured sugar syrup with either a thick, cream filling or a sweetened cheese filling. The dish may be shaped in a variety of ways and the top layer of crust is often tinted with red or orange food die. It is typically garnished with ground or chopped pistachios. A cheese kunafa is usually served warm, whereas a kunafa with cream is served chilled or at room temperature.

The crispy kataifi pastry used to make this dish is made from flour, cornflour, salt, vegetable oil, and water. Though many appreciate the ease of using store-bought frozen kunafa dough, it is possible to make it from scratch. However, following a kunafa dough recipe can be a bit time-consuming as the batter must be poured into a squeeze bottle and dispensed in a very thin stream onto a hot pan. Within 5-10 seconds, it will begin to peel off. You can then gently remove it with a spatula. The thin, lightly fried batter a kataifi pastry recipe yields may be further shredded to create the fine strands for which it is known.

It is wonderful when desserts impress with their flavour as well as their look. Fortunately, this is one such dessert. To make it, start by getting the kunafa kataifi pastry ready so you can bake the nest-like crusts. As the nests cool, prepare the cream filling and sugar syrup so both have time to cool as well. Once the three main elements are chilled, assemble the desserts by sandwiching cream between two pastry nests drizzled with syrup. Garnish the desserts with pistachios, orange blossoms, and dried roses.

There is no difference! Both kunafa and knafeh refer to the same dish and the difference is, as is the case with many other Middle Eastern dishes, purely dialectical. The sweet treat is known as dessert knafeh with cream throughout the Levant, while most people in Egypt as well as the Gulf States know it as kunafa. No matter what you call it though, its wonderful flavour makes a kunafa or knafeh recipe well worth trying.

This dessert tastes sweet, creamy, nutty, and floral, all at the same time. It is, as such, quite a complex-tasting dessert. It has both crispy and creamy textures. The syrup-drizzled pastry crust and chopped pistachios are crunchy to bite into and beautifully complement the fresh and sweet cream filling. This filling, like the homemade simple syrup, has been flavoured with delicate orange blossom water for a delightful, floral touch.

Unlike one featuring cheese, there is no need to reheat this kunafa with cream dessert as it is always served chilled or at room temperature. The deliciously whipped cream filling would begin to melt if it was piped onto warm kataifi pastry nests or if the assembled cakes were to be heated in the oven. As such, we do not recommend reheating these layered desserts.

Fresh kunafa with cream needs to be stored in the refrigerator. Since the filling is made with whipped cream, it is perishable and should not be left sitting a room temperature for long. It will keep for up to 3 days if stored in an airtight container. If you are making your dessert ahead of time, we recommend storing the shredded pastry nests and filling separately to protect the crispness of the former. The nests may also be stored in the fridge. After they have cooled, wrap them in cling film or aluminium foil. Store them for 1-2 days.