This crunchy, golden dessert is a celebration of Middle Eastern flavours. We used SELATI Sugar to create this delightful delicacy that will leave you craving more with every bite!
Orange blossom, white sesame & pistachio kunafa
Serves 8
Ingredients
2 cups (400g) SELATI White Sugar
1 cup (250ml) water
2 tsp (10ml) lemon juice
1 Tbsp (15ml) orange blossom water
300g fresh mozzarella, grated
⅓ cup (80ml) double-thick cream
350g Kataifi pastry, defrosted
½ cup (125ml) melted butter
2 Tbsp (30ml) finely chopped pistachios or almonds, to garnish
1 Tbsp (15ml) white sesame seeds
Pinch ground cardamom
4-5 dried baby roses, leaves picked (optional)
Method
- For the syrup, place sugar, water and lemon juice in a small pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add orange blossom water, remove from heat and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 180°C.
- Spray a 30cm oven-proof dish with non-stick spray.
- Mix the cheese with the thick cream.
- Neatly lay the pastry flat on your work surface. Don’t let the pastry become tangled or too messy.
- Cut the pastry into 15cm long strips and arrange the strings to make a 10-12cm flat ‘bed’.
- On the one end of the pastry, place 2-3 Tbsp of the cheese mixture along the width of the pastry. Roll the pastry to encase the cheese mixture, then place each roll into the baking dish.
- Pour melted butter over the kunafa rolls and bake for about 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.
- Once cooked, pour syrup over the kunafa rolls with a mix of nuts, sesame seeds, cardamom and dried roses.
Recipe & styling: Lichelle May
Photography: Zhann Solomons
Also read: Ginger & date pudding with Selati Sugar