Vegan Strawberry Galette!

Despite all my sugary excesses I do try to make an effort to eat healthier. Recently I started adding super foods in my daily meals, like hemp seeds, cocoa nibs, and maca among others.

I´m not a vegan nor a vegetarian person, however I´m not a meat enthusiast either. Actually, I do remember, along with my siblings, asking mom to remove meat from many traditional dishes, and we were always happy with the result. Moreover, our Eastern Mediterranean diet features many scrumptious dishes that are entirely based on vegetables; that's why I have a natural penchant for vegetables, herbs and spices and could go through many days without eating a single piece of meat.

Though I won't become a vegan anytime soon, I am enjoying making vegan desserts knowing how hard it can be to give up on dairy products in baking. During the lent season, I challenged myself to have daily vegan meals and few desserts to keep me going. I was more than satisfied with the results. Vegan meals shouldn't compromise on taste but just be really healthy, comforting and delicious in equal measures.

One of my earlier vegan baking attempts was a vegan carrot cake in which I just needed to substitute the eggs with something else. However, with cakes that demand butter or for shortcrust pastry, things get a little bit trickier as butter substitutes rarely deliver in both texture and flavor. Luckily, a German shop selling premium quality coconut butter close to where I live. Now I no longer had an excuse not to make a vegan pie or galette!

Though I went with strawberries for the filling, you can use any fruit you like. It's strawberries season now and the fruits are at their prime so it was a natural choice for me.

Working with coconut butter is a new thing for me, therefore, I am confident that with time I will get better results. The dough was a bit tricky to handle, especially when cold, however, it tasted great and had the crumbly texture that I wanted.

I made two galettes, a big and a small one. I varied the fillings slightly between the two, but kept both really simple.

Now let's bake, vegan style!
For the crust you need:

• 300 g flour (I used cake flour)
• 165 g cold coconut butter 
• 30 g sugar
• ice cold kirsh, vodka or just water (about 4 to 5 tbsp)
• dash of salt

Combine all ingredients but the liquid, and process for few seconds, when you get a sandy texture start adding the liquid, one tbsp at a time, once you see the dough coming together, stop your processor. Now, line a clean working surface with cling film (or aluminum foil if you prefer), remove the dough from the food processor onto the cling film. Work the dough slightly with your hands so it comes together and shape it into a disk. 

Cover it with the cling film and place it in the fridge for at least an hour. It is better if you prepare the dough one day ahead, which is what I usually do.

The amount of water that you will add depends on the quality of the flour and the water contained in the butter. Don't be tempted to put more water as the dough might seem dry at first, but when it rests in the fridge, it comes together nicely and the butter is absorbed  by the flour.

Remove the pie dough from the fridge 20 to 25 min before you start working with it. I divided the dough into 2 parts,  With the big portion I got a 23 cm disk (6 mm thick) and with the smaller one a 15 cm disk.

For the filling: big galette

• Strawberries (the quantity depends on how you arrange them and to which thickness)
• 1 to 2 tbsp sour cherry jam
• lilac sugar (or vanilla sugar)

Spread the jam in the middle of the dough, leaving 3 cm from the edge and then arrange the strawberries. Fold the edges of the dough and sprinkle with sugar. You can brush the edges with vegan milk or cream.

        Small galette:

• strawberries
• 1 tbsp apple butter
• 1 tbsp ground almond
• cinnamon and sugar to sprinkle

Mix apple butter and almond and the spread in the middle of the dough, again leaving about 3 cm free. Arrange the strawberries, fold the edges, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.

Bake the galettes, in a preheated oven (180C) for about 20 to 25 min, or until edges are golden.

Once the galettes are cooled a bit, give them a shower of powdered sugar and serve with the ice cream of your choice, preferably vegan but a regular ice cream would do. 

Enjoy!

Aich al Saraya: A Feast for the Serail, Available for You Too!

On May the 22nd Christians celebrate Saint Rita´s Day, a very beloved and venerated Saint among the Christians and specially the catholics of the middle east.

My mom named me after her, and so many others moms in that region!! During my school days I recall having at least 3 or 4 Ritas in class. The teacher had to call the attention for one and the class would be quiet in a snap!

Before moving to Spain, my family always celebrated this day. Nowadays, they do it in my absence, although they make sure to call me and wish me a "Happy Saint Rita's day".

My aunt whose name is Marguerite, though we call her Margot, celebrates the feast and her birthday on that day. During that day, she would always make her specialty, the dessert that I will share with you in a while. As she would chill the dessert, it was always a welcome since during May hot weather makes its appearance on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean quite clearly. My aunt is not only a great person with the sweetest heart ever but also is a great cook. Ever since I moved here I stopped enjoying this childhood dessert, so this year I decided to ask for her recipe and make some for me!

This dessert has been around for centuries. The name in Arabic is "Aish el Saraya" (عيش السرايا); roughly translated it means"the Serail's Bread". Though it was made with few key, nowadays widely available, ingredients, the dessert must have been back in time mostly out of the reach of the masses.

Like many desserts, it calls for the use of stale bread. The bread is then flavored with caramelized sugar, enriched with a layer of fresh clotted cream and finally adorned with the widest assortment of nuts possible. The result must have surely enchanted the governors and the elite that inhabited the serails of the Eastern Mediterranean back then. Luckily for us, the dessert is no longer exclusive and is widely available at shops but can be easily made at home.
Just note that there are so many ways to make this dessert, and this is just one of them!

For  20x25 cm pan or 26 cm round pan you need (I used 2 round pans: 15 and 12 cm and 1 small cup)

For the bread layer:

• 120  toasted bread
• 1 cup of sugar (about 225 g)
• 1 cup of water
• few drops of lemon juice

In a sauce pan, pour the sugar and on a low heat let it caramelize, it will take about 10 min. Once it´s golden brown, pour the water, be careful as it will splatter. then add the lemon juice and let the caramel dissolve completly in the water.  Leave it to cool.

Meanwhile you need to crumb the bread (you can use your food processor or just put the toasts in a plastic bag and bash it with a rolling pin) once you have tiny little crumbs pour over the cooled caramel, mix well until you get a soft and spreadable mixture. If it´s too liquid add more crumbs and if too thick a bit of water!

Cover the bottom of the pan with the bread mixture and set aside.

For the cream layer you need:

• 4 cups of milk
• 4 tbsp sugar (add a bit more if you desire a sweeter cream)
• 75 g corn flower
• 1 1/2  tbsp orange blossom water
• 1 1/2 tbsp rose water

In a saucepan, combine sugar and milk, and let it simmer for few minutes, Meanwhile dissolve the corn flower in 3 tbsp of water and slowly add it to the milk while you´re stirring.
Keep stirring, until the mixture thickens and covers the back of a spoon. This will take few minutes, don´t stop stirring to prevent any lumbs from forming.
Add the orange and rose water mix and turn off the heat. Pour the mixture over the bread, leave it to cool then place it in the fridge for at least 4 hours!
You will end up with 1 cm layer of bread and about 3 to 4 cm cream layer!

To achieve this presentation, I covered the  bottom of a spring form pan with parchment paper, and the borders with acetate paper which makes removing the cold cake a lot easier.
Decorate as you wish, traditionally it is covered with grated pistachios but feel free to  use any other nut or edible rose leaves. I decorated it with pistachios  and added a rose on the biggest cake, as it is the symbol of Saint Rita!

Once it´s cold you just need to cut and serve, you can also prepare it in individual cups.
Hope you give the dessert a try and Happy Saint Rita to all the Ritas out there!

Brownie Cookies with Peanut Butter Filling

Last year's May could not have been any different from the current one. Last year, the weather was warm and towards the end of the month it become seriously hot. The thermometer jumped all the way up to 35 C. As for this year, it´s been raining like crazy. It didn't rain like that even at the height of winter. Though it may sound weird, but I actually enjoy such rainy and cold weather. It invites me to indulge in all sorts of comfort food and especially to bake luscious treats!

The recipe I´m sharing today is one I have been wanting to share for a long time now, but somehow I kept postponing it. With this rainy weather, I think it's the right time to do so. After all, what's better than a chocolaty treat on a rainy day?!

This brownie cookie recipe is inspired by one of Donna Hay's cookie recipes. She filled her brownie cookies with peanut butter and  I really liked the idea. However, I tweaked her recipe using my own version of brownies and filling.

The recipe is really easy and needs few ingredients. So let´s start baking!
For 14 to 15 small cookies you need:

• 1 egg at room temperature
• 100 g sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or coffee liqueur 
• 110 dark chocolate (I used 74%)
• 20 g butter
• 1/2 tsp coffee powder
• 20 g flour
• 5 g cocoa powder
• dash of salt
• 1/8 tsp baking powder (about 1g)

First combine the chocolate and butter and melt in a microwave, or over a double boiler. If melting in a microwave, put them for 30 sec, then stir. Put for an additional 20 sec if not molten. Repeat until all of the chocolate and butter have melted. Finally add the coffee powder.

Combine all the dry ingredients but the sugar in a bowl and set aside.

In a bowl, whisk the egg, sugar and vanilla, until you get a creamy and pale mixture. On a low speed, add the chocolate mixture gradually. When well combined, fold in the flour mixture.

Place the brownie mix in the fridge for 20 min.

On a pan covered with parchment paper, scoop about one tbsp of the mixture (I used a small ice cream scoop) and drop on the pan. With a little pressure, lightly flatten the brownie ball a bit. Make sure to leave enough space between each one, as the cookies witll xpand during baking. Bake in a preheated oven (180 C) for about 8 to 10 min.

Remove the cookies from oven and let them cool for at least 10 min before taking them off the pan.

For the filling you need:

• 75 g peanut butter
• 25 g cream cheese (room temperature)
• 50 g soft butter
• 50 g powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Combine all the ingredients and beat until creamy and fluffy.

Now all you need is to fill the cookies and enjoy with coffee, milk or tea!

These cookies are slightly crunchy on the outside and with a soft and fudgy heart, all chocolate lovers will drool over them; I surely did!

Raspberry Cream Cheese Streusel Coffee Cake

Our lives are quite often punctuated by daily activities or rituals that we just wouldn't function without. Mine are breakfast and afternoon coffee! I always need to have something with my comfort cup of coffee and it has to be something sweet of course!

This post's cake is called coffee cake but truth be told has no coffee in it, but it's called a coffee cake because it makes such a perfect companion to coffee. In fact it tastes better when eaten while drinking coffee than if you have it alone.

I have made this cake before but with different fruits, this time I opted for raspberry and a touch of lemon for fresh and floral flavors.

There's nothing overaly complicated with this recipe but it does require some planning and if possible a bit of preparation ahead. The result is really worth all the effort you put into it.  You will get a cake with four layers all harmoniously combined. The first layer is the rich and soft base, the second is the creamy and sweet cheese layer, topped  by the third layer of tangy raspberries and finished by the last crumbly cinnamon and crunchy almonds layer! 

Let´s start caking. I used an 18 cm springform pan for this one. 

For the Streusel layer :

• 20 g cold butter, cut into small cubes
• 20 g sugar 
• 40 g flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• dash of salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and with the tip of your fingers bring everything together until you get a sandy mixture! I made this layer the night before, and left it in the fridge.

Cake layer:

• 1 egg at room temperature
• 80 g sugar
• 60 g soft butter
• 60 g sour cream or yogurt
• zest of half of a lemon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 125 g cake flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder plus 1/4 baking soda
• dash of salt

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside. 

Cream butter and sugar, add the sour cream, mix until well combined, add the egg, lemon zest and vanilla and mix again. Add the flour mixture, mix for a few seconds until combined. Spread the batter on the prepared pan, making sure that the edges are about one cm higher, making room for the cheese layer. 

Cheese layer:

• 125 g cream cheese at room temperature
• 40 g sugar
• zest of half a lemon
• 1 small egg (about 50 to 55 g)
• 100 to 125 g of fresh raspberries and almonds, preferably slivered (optional)

Mix the cheese with the sugar and lemon zest, once combined add the egg and mix again until you have a homogeneous mixture.

Now pour the mixture over the cake layer, arrange the raspberries until they cover the cheese layer. 

Sprinkle the streusel all over the top and finish with the almonds if using!

Bake in a preheated over (160C) for about 40 min. It will be ready when the edges are golden brown, the middle is slightly soft and the streusel is golden in color!

Leave it to cool in the pan for 10 to 15 min, then remove and let it cool completely. You can sprinkle some dusting sugar or have it as it is with some fresh raspberries and some coffee of course!

Easy Vegan Homemade Granola!

I have said it before in several of my posts: breakfast was, is and will always be my favorite meal of the day. I have to admit that sometimes it becomes an obsession as I start thinking of tomorrow´s breakfast while preparing today's!

From heavy, calorie-loaded and greasy breakfasts to really light and healthy options. Healthy does not mean stale and boring in my book. Healthy meals can and should be utterly delicious, I mean think about it, how can a meal be delicious if you need to force yourself to eat it.

Speaking of healthy food, homemade granola is not only tasty but also full of essential nutrients, fiber and iron from oats  and essential fats thanks to all the nuts it has. When you make it at home you can control the amount of sugar to cut down the calories.

Oats are always present in my pantry along with nuts and many vegan butters, so when I´m craving for a good snack I make me some granola. As a bonus, the house smells wonderful whenever I bake granola.

Here´s my easy and vegan granola recipe:
         Dry ingredients:

• 150 g whole grain flat oats
• 115 g raw mixed nuts (I used 40 g almonds and the rest was a mix of walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts and cashews)
• 15 g brown sugar
• 30 g grated coconuts
• 20 g dried cranberries
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon

       Wet ingredients

• 30 g apple butter (preferably homemade)
• 30 maple syrup (or honey)
• 15 g melted coconut oil (or an other vegetable oil)
• 15 g of tahini (sesame paste)
• 15 g of peanut butter (you can substitute the tahini for an additional 15 of peanut butter)
• 1 to 2 tsp vanilla paste or extract

First start by preheating your oven to 150 C.

In a big bowl combine all the dry ingredients and mix well. In another bowl, combine all the wet ingredients (you may need to start with the peanut butter and heat it a bit in the microwave) and now all you need is to coat the dry ingredients with the wet ones.

On a tray covered with parchment paper, spread the granola into a thin layer and bake for about 40 min, making sure to mix every 10 to 15 min as the edges tend to dry before the center. 

Once they are all golden brown, take them out of the oven and let them cool. Fill the granola in a glass jar and enjoy. It keeps well for about a week or so!

I usually have granola with some yogurt and fruits, but I've had them with coffee, mixed with unsweetened cream, as a crunchy topping to vanilla ice cream scoops...The options are endless, so be creative and enjoy delicious and nutritious homemade vegan granola. 

Kumquat and Turmeric Upside Down Cake!

When I first moved to Madrid, it was a bit hard for me. I left my family, friends and country behind for the first time. That was a real challenge. However, Madrid is such a welcoming city and its people are really nice that I quickly managed to adapt. Now after all these years, I can easily say Madrid is my home. Even when I escape its hectic city-life pace, I quickly miss it and can't wait to get back.

Probably, the things that I love the most about Madrid is how cosmopolitan it is, its amazing parks, beautiful streets and its hidden little gems here and there that can be easily missed if you don't know your way around the city.  Being an international city, home to millions and welcoming millions of visitors annually, you are spoiled by the variety of ingredients you would find here.

As I walk around my neighborhood, a favorite pastime of mine,  I am always delighted to discover new shops that open up and showcase ingredients that are not readily available elsewhere.
Recently I discovered a Chinese grocery and was so glad to see a wooden box full of kumquats. Without much thinking, I went inside and bought these little nuggets of intense zesty freshness.
I ate half of what I bought and saved the rest for a recipe I wanted to test: a citrusy cake spiced with turmeric!

The end result was a cake that's easy to make, full of flavor, and quite pretty without any post-baking decoration.

For a 20 cm pan you need:

• 2 eggs (room temperature)
• 110 g sugar
• 110 g soft butter
• 120 g cake flour
• 3/4 tsp to 1 tsp turmeric 
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• dash of salt
• zest of 3 kumquats or half an orange
• 1/2 tsp cointreau (optional)
• About 10-15 kumquats for the bottom

First grease the pan, cover it with parchment paper and generously butter the bottom and the sides.

Sprinkle sugar over the butter, slice the kumquats and arrange them over the butter and sugar layer.

In a bowl combine flour, baking powder, turmeric and salt and set aside.

In another bowl, cream the butter and the sugar, then add the eggs one by one while mixing and finish with the zest and cointreau. Once everything is well combined, fold in the flour mixture.

Pour the batter in the pan and bake in a preheated oven (180C) between 25 to 30 min. Remember the baking time varies between an oven and the other, the size and the material of the pan, so always check after 20 min.

Once the cake is well baked and golden in color, take it out and let it cool for about 5 min and the flip it over the serving plater. Peel of the parchment paper and let it cool completely.

The cake is perfect with a cup of coffee or tea, you can also serve it with whipped cream or yogurt and honey. Enjoy!

Blueberry, White Chocolate and Cardamom Bondies!

One of the reasons why I love baking and cooking is that it allows me to experiment with new flavors and create my own version of popular sweets. I may lack courage in some aspects of my life, but when it comes to the kitchen, I just love to play around with different flavors. After all, if the result is not what I wanted, I can start again.

Brownies and blondies are 2 easy recipes that everyone can make whenever craving for something sweet. The base recipes call for only few ingredients and from there you can take the recipe the way you want by adding spices, fruits, nuts, chocolate chips or any other ingredients you could think of.

The blondies featured in this recipe combine between the sweetness of white chocolate and the tart flavor of the blueberries. These two ingredients alone would give you a wonderful flavor, however, I wanted to add a spice and I was not sure which one. I surely didn't want to use cinnamon as I have used quite a lot recently  even if it would have been a great combination. Instead, I went with cardamom, a deeply aromatic spice with a citrusy character that goes well with the tartness of blueberries and complements it. 

Though I had a feeling the combination of these three ingredients would work, but I wasn't sure as I had never tried it before. Now I am happy to say that the flavors are complementary, well balanced and utterly delicious. I couldn't have asked for more! 

Once baked, the blondies had such an enticing aroma that I had to refrain myself from eating the whole batch before I finished photographing them. 

And now let´s start with the recipe.

For this recipe you need (18 x 18 cm pan):

• 100 g fresh (or frozen) blueberries 
• 100 g butter
• 120 g flour
• 1/4 tsp of salt and another 1/4 tsp of baking soda
• 1 egg
• 100 brown sugar (for optimum results use dark brown sugar)
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground cardamom (depends on how strong you want the flavor)
• 100 g white chocolate cut into small pieces 

Start by combining the flour with the salt, cardamom and baking soda.

Melt the butter in a sauce pan; you want to melt the butter and not to heat it, just warm it through. Add  the butter to the sugar  and whisk until well combined.

Now add the egg and mix well again.

Slowly fold in the flour. Finally, mix in in the chocolate and the blueberries.

Pour the batter in a pan (previously lined with baking paper), and bake them in a preheated oven (180 C; 350 F) for about 20 to 25 min, or until the edges and the top have a golden brown color.

Let the pan cool down. Remove the blondie and then cut into squares or rectangles. 

Enjoy the tasty spicy, tart, and sweet little squares of decadent blondies with coffee or on their own.

Chocolate and Marsala Poached Pears Cake.

What's life without few healthy addictions here and there? I know that many, like me, cannot go by a day without having a small piece of good quality chocolate or a small glass of wine. Luckily, though I love chocolate, I can control my cravings and limit my consumption. I honestly think that if you have a small piece of good quality dark chocolate (70% and above) you won't feel the need to eat the extra sweet chocolate offerings that are more sugar and cream than chocolate.
I noticed that my chocolate craving is higher in colder weather than warmer one. I guess it's the comforting feeling of chocolate at work!
This winter in Spain has been really weird. We had some really warm spring-like days  while others were icy cold.
The past weekend was one of those rather cold days, and of course for me this weather is all about comfort and soul food.

In this recipe I used two of  my favorite ingredients, chocolate and wine, in a rather easy recipe to make with an amazing result. The recipe will get extra marks from you if you like the taste of spices.

Let´s tackle to the recipe that has two parts.
First you need to poach the pears. For that you need:

• 3 pears (I used limonera pear)
• 500 ml Marsala wine
• 2 star anise
• 4 cloves
• 1 strip of orange peel and 1 of lemon 
• 2 cardamom pods
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 20 g sugar

Peel the pears. In a pot combine the wine, sugar and spices then add the pears and poach for about 20 min. Make sure not to overcook the pears as they will go to the oven again. Remove the pears, and leave the wine to reduce a bit more. You can do this the night before,

For the cake, (enough for a 20 x 11 cm pound cake pan) you need:

• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 100 g soft butter
• 100 g white sugar and 20 g brown sugar
• 100 g cake flour
• 20 g cocoa powder
• 1 tsp of cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 6 g baking powder (a bit less than a tsp)
• 50 g melted chocolate
• 75 g of the wine and spices syrup

Combine all the dry ingredients and set aside. Cream the sugar and butter, add the eggs one by one and mix until well combined. Add the chocolate and mix again. When you have an homogeneous mixture, fold in the flour mixture and at last add the wine and mix well. Pour 2/3 batter in the greased and prepared, line the pears, then cover with the rest of the batter. Bake between 35 to 45 min in a preheated oven (180), or until a skewer comes out clean.

This cake has a deep flavor, with a crumblyand melt in your mouth  texture and a soft fruity and spicy heart. For me it's a perfect comforting dessert best enjoyed with a cup of coffee watching a movie after a long day's work.

You can serve the cake as it is, but I wanted some more chocolate so I made a syrup/ganache. If you want to make it you need:

• 75 g chopped chocolate
• 75 g cream
• 1 tsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp chocolate liquor (optional)

Combine cream, cocoa powder and honey in a saucepan and heat until all is well combined. Off the heat, add the chocolate and whisk until it melts, add the liquor and your done!

Served alone, with cream or with the warm chocolate ganache, this cake is really worth the try.

Kunafeh, the Middle East's Favorite Cheese Delight!

It's about time to share with you one of my favorite recipes ever. It´s not only delicious but also has a special place in my heart.

Sometimes we feel strongly towards a dish or a dessert not just because it tastes great but because it brings back memories we cherish. Kunafeh/knafeh/knefeh, whichever way you want to pronounce it, has a special place in my heart because of all the wonderful memories I associate with it.

During Easter Sunday (Resurrection Sunday), I would always wake up in anticipation knowing that my parents would bring home the most delicious, sweet and creamy knefeh enough for the whole family with much to spare for the following day. I also remember the many Saturdays I spent with my brother making all the necessary knefeh preparations and how anxious we would be the following Sunday to savor the labor of our efforts. But it's not just family memories that knefeh brings back, I recall the many times I had this treat drenched in thick syrup while strolling the streets with my friends. Kneffeh was our go-to sweet treat, breakfast or brunch. Such sweet and wonderful memories!
Knefeh is not just a dessert for me, it's part of my identity and cultural background.

After this short trip down memory lane, let me tell you that this dish is one of the most popular ones in the Middle East, if not the most popular. It is most commonly eaten as breakfast but it's just as good as a treat any time of the day. It's not uncommon for people to bring a whole platter of knefeh to friends and families during festive times as the rich dessert that stand up to an even richer lunch.

There are many variants to kneffeh and every city and even every maker seems to have his own rendition of the basic recipe. I do think that all variations are good and they make this dish even more special. All variations of kneffe share the same basics: a layer of buttery dough covering or topping a creamy melted cheese layer and sweetened with simple syrup. Knefeh is best served warm as it loses much in flavor and texture when it's cold.

I should mention that knefeh is made with a special kind of cheese that is very difficult to find in Madrid. I used the cheeses that are easier to find and can give you the closest taste and texture to the real thing.

The one I´m sharing today is called knefeh khechne (or coarse knefeh) as the kataifi dough is cut into small pieces and not ground. The soft knefeh demands some extra work but I hope I will share this version with you too!

To make enough coarse knefeh for four persons you need:

• 250 g kataifi dough
• 150 g mozzarella
• 150 ricotta cheese
• 80 g clarified butter (melted and milk solids removed)
• soft butter to brush the tray (about 20 g)
• orange powdered food coloring (optional)

For the syrup you need:

• 200 g sugar
• 100 g water
• small cinnamon stick (optional)
• 1 bruised cardamom pod (optional)
• squeeze of lemon juice
• 1 tsp rose water
• 1 tsp orange blossom water.

Start by making the syrup. Combine sugar, water, cardamom and cinnamon in a saucepan, and let the sugar melt completely on a low heat. When the mixture starts bubbling add the lemon juice and let it simmer for an extra minute. Turn off the heat and add the rose and orange blossom water. Never add the orange and rose water while the mix is still bubbling as you will lose their delicate flavor.

Now let's tackle the dough. In a food processor shred the kataifi into tiny little pieces. Place the dough in a big bowl and add the clarified butter. With your hands, mix well until the butter has covered all the small shreds.

Now, butter an 18 cm pan, really generously, add a pinch of the food coloring if using, and with a brush spread with the butter making sure to cover the sides of the pan. Add  about 2/3 of the dough and cover the tray, press well to have 1/2 cm thick dough on all sides, (making sure the sides are about 1 cm higher).

Mix the cheeses in a bowl and mash them together. Place the bowl in a fridge if you don't want to bake the knefeh immediately.  Do take the cheese mix out of the fridge for a while when you are ready to bake.

All of the previous steps can be made the night ahead in case you want things to be easier for you the day you want to serve the knefeh.

When you´re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 200 C. Place the pan in the oven for about 5 to 7 minutes until you see that the sides have changed color. Add the cheese mix and put back in the oven  for 5 to 7 minutes. When the cheese starts to melt take the pan out of the oven and cover the cheese with the remaining kataifi dough.

At this point, it is usual to flip the kenefeh on a bigger pan, put the pan into the oven and bake it till it has a nice golden color. However, I find it easier to put the pan in the middle rack and turn the broiler on for 5 minutes or until the dough is of a beautiful golden color.

To serve, you need to take out the knefeh from the pan. The process is very similar to how you would remove a tarte tatin from its baking pan. Place the serving platter on top of the pan making sure that the platter is larger than the pan. With a quick motion flip the pan and platter. Tap gently on the pan and the knefeh should fall easily on the platter.

Decorate with grated pistachios, dried rose petal and serve with the warm syrup!

I hope you give this recipe a try, it´s absolutely delicious. A crunchy dough holding  a gooey rich cheese mix all tied together and sweetened with an aromatic syrup, perfection!