I love to make this with my family! it is just so fun!

A not-so-authenic cheese kunafa made with everyone’s favorite nabulsi cheese! Crunchy shredded pastry filled with an ooey gooey mixture of mozzarella and a secret ingredient that keeps the cheese from hardening even after it cools. A rose blossom water scented sugar syrup, sweetens and perfumes this scrumptious Middle Eastern favorite.

To recap, kunafa (or konafa, kanafeh, knafeh) is a Middle-Eastern/ Mediterranean pastry made from shredded, vermicelli-like phyllo dough that crisps up into this beautifully golden dessert when baked. It almost always, comes with a surprise filling and sweetened with simple syrup.

Pastry shops and home cooks have been getting really creative with kunafa innovations lately. And so have I 🙂

I hop[e you enjoy this easy recipe that tastes amazing really, it is one of the best desserts in the world!!

Kunafa

Numnum

A favorite cheesy dessert! Everyone’s Favorite Mediterranean food!

5 from 7 votes

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Course Dessert

Cuisine Mediterranean

Servings 4

Calories

Ingredients

2 cups Kunafa strands
50 grams butter (3 tablespoons)
1/4 cups shelled, unsalted pistachios
1 grain mistaka (مستكة) or 1 ball
2 cups grated cheese mixture (mixture of mozzarella, Nabulsia or Akkawi cheese)

For The syrup:

1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tsp rose water or flower water
1/2 tbsp lemon juice for thickening

Instructions

grate Cheese
pound your mistaka until it is powdered (or grainy/ sandy)
combine the cheese with your Mistaka
On Medium Heat, in a large pan: melt the butter
On top of the butter add the kunafa strands so that the butter is combined with the strands
then evenly distribute the buttered Kunafa strands across the pan
add the sweet Mistaka Cheese
turn heat to a low simmer and cover your pan every while turning the kunafa so it does not burn