Middle Eastern Dessert Recipes 💕🍮

2 desserts I made for a dinner party 💕

Kunafa is the ultimate Middle Eastern dessert. A luscious, crunchy, and buttery shredded fillo (phyllo) enclosing the most creamy silky milk pudding and drizzled with fragrant simple syrup.

The Mango Cardamom Pudding is my own recipe and a blend of South Asian & Middle Eastern ingredients.

💵 Price:

Kunafa Ingredients 🍮

For the syrup

▢ 2 cup granulated sugar.

▢ 1 ¼ cup water.

▢ ¼ cup honey.

▢ 1 teaspoon lime juice.

For flavoring the syrup:

▢ 1 Tablespoon orange blossom water

▢ OR

▢ 1 Tablespoon rose water.

▢ OR

▢ 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

For the cream filling

▢ 2 cups whole fat milk.

▢ 3-4 Tablespoons corn starch

▢ 8 oz sweet cheese optional. (I used mozzarella)

For the knafeh:

▢ 1 lb pound knafeh Note3

▢ 1 cup ghee

Divide the kunafa in halves and place the first half in your food processor while wrapping the other in the plastic bag of the package.

Give it from 6-10 pulses stopping in between to release the kunafa threads from around the blade. We aim here to cut kunafa into small pieces but not turning it into powder so check it every couple of pulses. Transfer the cut knafeh into a bowl and proceed with the other half.

Melt ghee on stove top or microwave, then add ¾ of the ghee to the knafeh.

With your hands rub the ghee into knafeh until you are sure almost every thread is covered with ghee.

A collage of 6 images showing how to assemble kunafa.

Brush the bottom of your baking pan with some of the remaininf melted ghee. Take half of the knafeh and spread it evenly.

Press the knafeh using the bottom of another pan or a cup or a smaller plate. Press down and along the sides of the pan.

Pour the Ashta (milk pudding) mixture. Spread evenly leaving about half inch all around. Recipe for the Ashta is in the recipe card at the end of the post.

If you are using the sweet cheese, then grate it and spread it evenly on top of the pudding.

Add the remaining shredded knafeh , spread it evenly and press lightly with your finger tips.

Spread the remaining melted ghee on top and bake until nicely browned.

Pour cooled syrup over, let it soak and rest for 10-15 minutes. Invert on to a serving platter.

Mango Cardamom Pudding

▢1 1/2 cup Sugar

▢ Instant Pudding Mix (mango)

▢ 2 cups mix

▢ 1 tablespoon Cardamom Powder

Pour 2 cups milk into measuring cup.

Open pudding mix.

Use scissors to cut corner of pudding mix bag.

Pour pudding mix into measuring cup.

Add in sugar as you whisk

Put in tablespoon of cardamom powder

Set timer for 3 minutes.

Whisk until timer goes off.

Enjoy!

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