Watch and learn how to make the popular Cream Kunafa filled with semolina cream, baked to golden brown and doused in aromatic simple syrup.
Prep Time1 hourhr25 minutesmins
Cook Time35 minutesmins
Total Time2 hourshrs
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: arabic, middle eastern
Servings: 6Pieces
Author: Famidha Ashraf
INGREDIENTS
For the Aromatic Sugar Syrup
1cupgranulated sugar
½cupwater
1green cardamom
a squeeze of lemon
¼teaspoonrose water
¼teaspoonorange blossom water
For the Knafeh Cream Filling
1cupfull-fat milk
½cupwhipping creamor fresh cream or tin cream
1tablespoonsemolina
1tablespoonsugar
1tablespooncornflour
2mastic beadscrushed (optional but recommended)
½teaspoonrose water
½teaspoonorange blossom water
For the Kunafa dough
250gramskunafa doughuse frozen. If using fresh, freeze overnight to make it easy
½cupmelted ghee
ghee or butterto grease the pan
For garnish
dried rose petals
slivered pistachios
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare the sugar syrup (You may make this a day ahead and refrigerate)
Add the sugar, water, lemon juice and cardamom to a deep saucepan and bring to a boil. Do not stir this at any point. Let it boil until all the sugar dissolves.
1 cup granulated sugar, ½ cup water, a squeeze of lemon, 1 green cardamom
Reduce the flame to low and let it simmer for 5 to 8 minutes.
Switch off and stir in the rose water and orange blossom water.
¼ teaspoon rose water, ¼ teaspoon orange blossom water
Transfer the syrup into a mug to cool completely.
Prepare the Cream filling (You may make this ahead and refrigerate)
Whisk together milk, cream, semolina, sugar, and cornflour until well combined without any visible lumps.
1 cup full-fat milk, ½ cup whipping cream, 1 tablespoon semolina, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon cornflour
Bring this to a boil on a medium flame while constantly whisking to prevent the cream from sticking to the bottom and getting burnt. Stir in the crushed mastic.
2 mastic beads
Whisk on low to medium flame for about 5 minutes or until it starts to thicken (it will thicken more while cooling).
Switch off and stir in the rose water and orange blossom water and keep aside.
½ teaspoon rose water, ½ teaspoon orange blossom water
Prepare the Kunafa Crust
Crush the dough using your hands while frozen or use a mixie to do the job but make sure it is not super fine. We need texture.
250 grams kunafa dough
Pour ¼ cup of melted ghee and use a long fork or gloves to rub the dough with ghee. Add the remaining ghee and make sure every strand of the dough is coated with ghee. You can switch to a rubber spatula and do the folding method to ensure an even coating. Take time for this process as this is what makes a baked kunafa soft and crispy.
½ cup melted ghee
Grease an 8-inch pan with ghee all over and on the sides.
ghee or butter
Transfer ⅔ of the prepared dough onto the greased pan and spread it to cover the bottom. Use a small flat-bottomed mug or cup to help you with flattening the crust evenly. Spread the crust to the sides of the pan too like a wall around the pan. This will encase the cream filling that we will add. Make sure there are no cracks in the bottom and that it is even throughout. Don't go to the next step until your crust is firm and neat.
Pour the prepared cream filling into the crust. Spread the filling evenly across the crust using the back of a spoon.
Spread the remaining kunafa dough carefully and lightly all over the cream filling. Make sure no cream is visible.
Use the spoon to lightly press down around the edge to seal the crust.
Bake the Kunafa with cream
Preheat the oven to 200℃ with the rack on level 2.
Bake the kunafa for 35 to 40 minutes or until the top and sides of the kunafa are deep golden brown and has pulled away from the sides of the pan. If you notice the sides brown and released much earlier, then reduce the temperature to 180℃ for the remaining time.
Remove from the oven and immediately pour the cooled sugar syrup into a thin stream making sure to cover the entire surface. Reserve the remaining syrup for later.
Let it rest in the pan itself for 10 minutes.
Flip onto a serving platter. Keep the serving platter on the cake pan, hold it with both hands and flip it so that the cake pan is on top now. Remove the pan to reveal the beautifully baked kunafa.
Garnish with dried rose petals and crushed pistachios.
dried rose petals, slivered pistachios
Serve Kunafa warm
Use the reserved syrup to serve along with the warm kunafa.
Cut the kunafa using the knifepoint and stab across till the edge and repeat the other side and use a cake server to remove the cut piece and serve.
Store any leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat the stovetop on a flat pan. Do not microwave.