Turkish Künefe

By cookism

Our perception of the world of desserts was irrevocably turned upside down when we tasted our first künefe. Who would’ve known (maybe besides the Turkish) that such a divine fusion of art and delicacy exists? The uber-crisp shreds of phyllo dough sandwich a strata of savory, stringy cheese, and the whole mishmash of textures is doused with the syrupy nectar of gods to create an unforgettable dessert, with every morsel an explosion of flavours and unspeakable sensations. We have created a recipe that, albeit not the most traditional, is one that we simply love.

Ingredients

• For syrup:
• 2 Cups of Sugar
• 2 Cups of Water
• 1 tbsp of Lemon Juice
• 2 tsp of Orange Blossom Water
• For Künefe:
• 450 g of Shredded Phyllo Dough
• 300 g of Shredded Unsalted Mozzarella
• 1 Cup of Melted Unsalted Butter + extra for frying
• 1/2 Cup of Milk
• Ground Pistachios (to taste)

Details

Servings 16
Adapted from cookism.tumblr.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. For the syrup, boil sugar and water in a large saucepan. Reduce the heat and allow it to simmer while adding in lemon juice and orange blossom water. Stir well and set aside to cool.
2. Cut shredded phyllo dough into bits and loosen them slightly.
3. Drizzle melted butter and milk onto the dough in batches and mix well with your hands until they are evenly incorporated. For large clumps, loosen them with your fingers.
4. Using metals rings (about 8cm wide, 2 to 2.5cm thick), fill the bottom and sides with 2 heaped tablespoons of shredded phyllo dough. Slightly compress using the back of a spoon. Next, top up 2 heaped tablespoons of cheese, compress again and pack in with another 2 heaped tablespoons of shredded phyllo dough to seal in the cheese.
5. Heat up a large pan and add in some butter. Scoop up the künefe with a cake server and carefully placed it in the pan. Fry each side for 3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove metal rings along the way and transfer onto a serving plate.
6. Drizzle syrup and sprinkle ground pistachios to taste! Ready to dig in!