Name: Turkish Sweet Cheese Pastry (Kunefe)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 1 servings
Ingredients: 60 g kadayif (35 g for the bottom layer) (35 g for the top layer); 25 g unsalted Maraş cheese (you can also use string cheese); 25 g pistachio; 40 g butter (room temperature); 1/2 teaspoon grape molasses; For the syrup (sherbet):200 g sugar; 200 ml water; 1/4 lemon

Kunefe is a dessert prepared with kadayıf, sherbet, and salt-free cheese. Kunefe takes its place, especially on holiday tables, and is served with additional products such as buffalo milk, melon, pistachios, and almonds. In addition, clotted cream, or Maraş ice cream, is always added to the kunefe. Kunefe dessert, which is very popular in Arab cuisine, is associated with Hatay cuisine.

How Many Calories in 1 Portion Kunefe?

A small portion of künefe is 380 calories, and a medium portion of künefe is approximately 440 calories.

Turkish Sweet Cheese Pastry (Kunefe)

Ingredients

60 g kadayif (35 g for the bottom layer) (35 g for the top layer)
25 g unsalted Maraş cheese (you can also use string cheese)
25 g pistachio
40 g butter (room temperature)
1/2 teaspoon grape molasses

For the syrup (sherbet):

200 g sugar
200 ml water
1/4 lemon

Turkish Sweet Cheese Pastry (Kunefe)

Instructions Hide Photos

After mixing the room-temperature butter and molasses, grease the tray with plenty of butter.
Meanwhile, finely chop the kadayif.
Then spread half of the finely chopped kadayif on a tray and put it evenly on all sides with your hands, then pour grated cheese and 3/2 of the pistachios on the cheese, and then cover the remaining kadayif with the remaining kadayif.
For the sherbet, boil 200 ml of water with 200 gr of granulated sugar and sliced lemons and let it cool.
Bake the kunefe in the oven until the top is golden brown.
Add the sherbet to the kunefe. Kunefe should be hot, and the sherbet should be cold.
Garnish with pistachios, and serve. Enjoy your meal.

Serving Suggestions

You can serve it with ice cream or clotted cream.

Expert Tips

For the sherbet, after the sugar dissolves in the water, it should be kept on low heat to reach the right consistency of the sherbet.
Unsalted cheese should be preferred in order not to dilute the kunefe dessert; the juice of the cheese should be squeezed and drained.
Künefe should be cooked on the stove by rotating it so that it cooks evenly on all sides.
When the sherbet is at room temperature, pour it over the hot kunefe.

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Turkish Recipes Dessert Recipes

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