Kunafa with Cream

a slice of cream kunafa being lifted out of a cake pan.

This is a delicious Middle Eastern, crunchy kunafa dough, with an easy homemade cream filling, with a fragrant rose water and orange blossom water syrup. It's so good!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Diet Halal, Vegetarian

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1

Servings people

Calories 581kcal

Author Farah Abumaizar

Ingredients

For the sugar syrup:

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar 500g
1 1/4 cups water 300ml
squeeze fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon orange blossom water
1 tablespoon rose water

For the cream filling:

3 tablespoon granulated sugar
pinch of mastic gum, optional (mistika) see notes
2 cups whole milk 500ml
1 cup heavy cream (whipping cream) 250ml
4 tablespoon cornstarch (cornflour)
2 tablespoon fine semolina- or add an extra 1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 teaspoon rose water
3 teaspoon orange blossom water

For the kunafa crust:

500 g kunafa (kataifi) pastry, thawed 1 lb
1 cup ghee, melted or melted butter, plus a little more for greasing the pan. 226g

For garnishing:

1/4 cup chopped pistachios
2 tablespoon drieed rose petals, optional

Instructions

Make the sugar syrup (up to 1 week in advance)

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, water and lemon juice. Set on a stovetop over medium high heat. Stir just to combine then let it be. If the sugar isn’t dissolving you can stir a couple times but as soon as it starts to boil stop stirring.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from stove immediately once 10 minutes is over. It should have thickened to the consistency of maple syrup.
Once off the heat, stir in the rosewater and orange blossom water, and transfer to a container to cool.

For the cream filling:

If using the mastic gum, add it to a small ziploc bag with the sugar and roll with a rolling pin to crush into a fine powder. If not using mastic gum, ignore this step.
Add the sugar (and mastic gum), the milk, cream, cornstarch and semolina if using to a medium saucepan and whisk until combine. Place this saucepan on a stove burner over medium high heat and whisk until mixture comes to a boil.
Boil for one minute, whisking constantly, then remove from the heat and mix in the orange blossom and rose water. Cool while you prepare the kunafa dough.

To assemble and bake:

Preheat the oven to 390F (200C). Place the oven rack near the lower third of the oven.
Use kitchen scissors to cut the kunafa dough into 1/2 inch strands, placing these in a large bowl.
Pour the melted ghee or butter over the kunafa dough, and toss thoroughly to combine. Set aside.
Generously grease a deep 12 inch pan with additional ghee (or you can make two 9 inch kunafas, bake one and freeze one). Tightly press in 2/3 of the kunafa dough.
Spread the cream filling evenly over the top of this dough, then top with the remaining kunafa dough.
Bake for 40-45 minutes on the bottom rack of the oven, then transfer to the upper rack and bake for another 10-15 minutes until deep golden brown. Use a spoon to lift the kunafa up to check that the bottom has browned before removing from the oven.
Immediately after baking, pour half of the sugar syrup on top evenly in a circular motion. Let the kunafa sit and soak in the syrup for 10 minutes, then garnish with chopped pistachios and dried rose petals. Serve with extra syrup on the side.

Video

Notes

Ingredient notes:

If you can't find mastic gum, just leave this out it just adds a really subtle Arabic gum flavor.

You can add less rose water and orange blossom water if you like, but the results listed aren't overpowering at all.

You can use ghee and melted butter interchangeably.

The sugar syrup can be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Storing leftovers:

Kunafa is best enjoyed fresh, although you can reheat 2-3 day old slices in a hot oven. You can freeze unbaked kunafa for up to 2 months, tightly wrapped. When ready to bake, thaw on the counter while you heat the oven, then bake as directed.

Recipe tips:

I really like using kitchen scissors to shred the kunafa dough, otherwise it takes forever with a chopping knife and board.

Take care to coat the kunafa evenly with the melted ghee or butter, so that the dough turns an even golden color in the oven.

This is quite a deep dish kunafa, so it'll take a while for the dough to brown all over, don't rush it, and check the bottom of the kunafa to make sure it's golden.

Pour the cooled syrup over the hot kunafa to get the perfect texture, where the kunafa doesn't get soggy.

To make cheese kunafa, follow the recipe on this link.

Nutrition