Knafeh Is A Cheese Pastry Delight

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Knafeh is the richest and creamiest; it is a sweet and cheesy delicacy. Just when it seems it could not be better, it is topped with a crunchy topping and soaked in sweet syrup. It is totally seductive! It is delicious! There is no other dessert that seduces the Middle East like Kanafeh. You will find it in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Palestinian Authority, Turkey, Greece, and Egypt. So many countries can’t be wrong. Kanafeh is the best dairy desert in the Middle East.

So many spellings, but the same luxurious dessert. In one place it may be spelled Kanafeh or Kunefe. Yet in another, it is Kadayif or Konafeh. And just when you are sure there can be no more, you will see Konafah, Knafah, Kunafeh, Kanafeh, and Knafe. So many spellings for the same special dessert. It is an amazing and scrumptious dessert called Kanafeh!

You can not visit any part of this region without falling in love with this dessert. This is a recipe easily made at home and we hope this inspires you to create this delicious dessert.

Knafeh Recipe

By Pali’s Favorites on August 18, 2011

(Found on WWW.FOOD.com)

Prep Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 1 hr
Yield: 1 tray

About This Recipe

“You can’t go to Palestine and not eat knafeh every night! A very delicious dessert that is easy to make :) A Syrian sweet cheese is normally used with this, some people use ricotta cheese but it changes the taste and consistency of this dish, but it can be used. I make my own cheese and do not add salt to it so I can use it with this recipe, but store-bought sweet cheese works just fine :)”

Ingredients

1 lb shredded phyllo dough ( knafeh dough) [**Can be found in the Kosher section of most large markets and in Kosher Jewish stores and delicatessens. ]
2 lbs sweet cheese
1 -1 1/2 cup rendered butter [** Also called Ghee and can be bought in most major markets and International Markets. ]
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon orange blossom water [** I make this and can when the Orange tree. blossoms. ]
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 teaspoon kanafeh food coloring [** I usually use regular food color.]
1/4 cup pistachios, chopped
2 cups thin syrup ( attar) [** I make a standard thin syrup with equal parts water and sugar. ]

Directions

Mix cheese, sugar, and orange blossom water together.
Chop knafeh dough with a sharp knife. Mix with 1 3/4 cups hot butter over low fire for 15 minutes, or until dough absorbs all the butter.
Mix 1/4 cup butter, kanafeh coloring, and spread in a 17×12 inch pan. Sprinkle pine nuts evenly.
Spread 2/3 of the dough in the pan over the nuts and press well. Spread the cheese mixture over dough evenly. Cover with the rest of the dough and press well.
Bake at 400 degrees in a preheated oven for 30 minutes. (Place on the lower rack).
Add thin attar. Flip the tray over in another tray of the same size. Return to the oven and bake for 10 more minutes.
Garnish with pistachios and serve hot!

** My notes

Pictures of different types and styles of Kanafeh: https://www.pinterest.com/recipes/knafeh-pastry/

Furthermore this is a rather standard recipe and can be made with little effort and once you have tasted this awesome dessert, you will just have to have it. Make it in the kitchen or take a trip to the Middle East for the “real thing.” You can literally eat your way through the Middle East. Traveling throughout the Middle East is a food adventure in the making. Make this the year you taste the real Middle Eastern Kanafeh.

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Travel back in time And Discover Petra

Travel back in time! Discover the Ancient City of Petra. Immerse yourself in the journey! Become part of an ancient time. Petra was a hidden city. It was hidden among the cliffs and the rocks. By the fourth century BC, it was the capital of the Nabataean people. These ancient people controlled the main trade routes to and from Arabia. These trade routes took them from oasis to oasis in the desert. Their skills are astonishing! Their architecture is impressive. Their art is phenomenal Their journey astounding!

Latter in history they allied themselves with the Romans. Then in a mysterious minute, they became a lost civilization. Petra would stay hidden for many centuries. Then this mysterious city re-appeared. The year was 1812! The lost city of Petra had been found. Travel with us, as we discover this ancient civilization.

Petra was re-discovered by a Swiss explorer,Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. After studying Arabic, Islamic law, and the Koran, he passed himself off as a Muslim and set out on a journey. He traveled through the desert to find the lost city. What he found was unbelievable! Petra is magnificent! It is not something built by untrained nomads! It is the work of skilled laborers. Travel the ancient paths! Cross the deserts! Climb the cliffs! Travel back in time. Discover the mysteries of Petra.

Johann Burckhardt had heard stories from local people about this magnificent ruins. He set out to sacrifice a goat to the Prophet Aaron, the brother of Moses. It was in a narrow mountain valley that he first saw signs of ancient life. It was well off the road. He traveled through a colorful and amazing desert. When he neared the tomb of Aaron, the brother of Moses he made a goat sacrifice. It was nearby the tomb of Aaron, that he got his first glimpse of the ancient city.

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Petra, which is Greek for “rock,” was carved out of the beautiful red sandstone rock cliffs. This Hellenistic architecture is mind-blowing. The many rooms are incredible! They sparkle in the sun! There are beautiful ledges for their gods. As the capital of the Nabataeans, it was a cultural and religious center. This advanced civilization was a leader in the world for over 400 years. Travel back in time and discover what it meant to be Nabataean. Who were the people who inhabited this city?

From many ancient discoveries, we can assume that the people who lived here were affluent and prosperous. The surrounding areas speak of the time that vineyards flourished. Ancient grape presses have been found in the surrounding valley. This magnificent city is nestled in the Shera Mountains. This was an important crossroads for traders from Arabia, Syria, Egypt, and Phoenicia. This is an amazing journey! It is an adventure into an ancient time. Back your bags and make this the year that you make the journey. Travel with us to Jordan, for the journey of a life-time.