Künefe

Don't Make These Mistakes

Hot pastry, cold syrup. Never the other way round.

Press it hard, twice. Loose kadayif falls apart when you turn it.

Serve within minutes — the cheese stops stretching as it cools.

How to Make Künefe

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1. Make the syrup first: boil the sugar and water for 10 minutes, add the lemon juice and orange blossom water, and cool completely. Cold syrup is essential.

   Mark done Start 10 min timer

2. Pull the kadayif apart with your fingers into a loose, fluffy pile, cutting any very long strands.

   Mark done

3. Pour the clarified butter over and rub it through with your hands for 2 minutes until every strand is coated and the pastry feels heavy.

   Mark done Start 2 min timer

4. If using nabulsi, soak it in cold water for an hour, changing the water twice, to draw the salt out. Drain and grate or slice thinly.

   Mark done

5. Press half the buttered kadayif firmly into a 26 cm shallow pan or copper künefe dish, compacting it hard with the base of a glass.

   Mark done

6. Spread the cheese evenly over, leaving a 1 cm border, then cover with the remaining kadayif and press down hard again.

   Mark done

7. Cook over a low flame for 12 to 15 minutes, turning the pan every few minutes for even colour. Lift an edge to check for a deep, even gold.

   Mark done Start 12 min timer

8. Slide a large plate over the pan, invert, and slide it back in to cook the second side for 8 to 10 minutes.

   Mark done Start 8 min timer

9. Take it straight from the heat and pour the cold syrup evenly all over it while it hisses.

   Mark done

10. Scatter with ground pistachios and serve immediately, while the cheese still pulls.

    Mark done

Related guides: Prep, cook and total time · Pan and tin size.

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After You've Cooked It

Eat immediately. It can be reheated in a pan but never regains the same texture.

Good With

• Turkish coffee
• Kaymak clotted cream
• A glass of cold water

Questions and Answers

Nutrition per Serving

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. Garnishes, greasing and other items with no amount are not counted. How the figures are worked out.