A classic, golden, and crispy künefe with a stretchy cheese center and a lemon-scented syrup. Serve piping hot, topped with pistachios, to capture the spirit of Turkish pastry shops at home.
Ingredients
- 300 g fresh or thawed frozen kadayıf dough
- 120 g unsalted butter
- 250 g low-salt cooking mozzarella
- 250 g granulated sugar
- 200 ml water
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 30 g shelled unsalted pistachios
- 120 g heavy cream
Method
- Prepare the lemon syrup, then let it cool until warm off the heat: it should be fluid, glossy, and slightly coating.
- Shred the kadayıf dough with your fingers in a large bowl until the strands are separated, then toss it with the melted butter until it is uniformly glossy.
- Generously butter a skillet or round pan that can go over low heat, then pack a layer of dough at the bottom, pressing well to form a compact base.
- Distribute the drained and dried cheese in the center, without going all the way to the edges, so it melts into a stretchy core without leaking out.
- Cover with the remaining dough, pack it down again with your palm or the bottom of a glass, then smooth the edges to enclose the cheese.
- Cook over low heat until the bottom is deeply golden, crispy, and a brown butter aroma begins to emerge.
- Carefully flip the künefe using a plate, return it to the skillet, then continue cooking until you get a golden second side that sounds hollow to the touch.
- Pour the warm syrup over the hot künefe, let it absorb briefly without completely softening the surface, then sprinkle with crushed pistachios.
- Serve immediately, piping hot, with a dollop of heavy cream to recall traditional kaymak.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 926.7 kcal
- Protein
- 17.69 g
- Carbohydrate
- 96.54 g
- Fat
- 53.58 g
- Fibre
- 3.07 g
- Calcium
- 49.88 mg
- Iron
- 4.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 24.27 mg
