A must in all Armenian households, every woman has their own recipe and every woman believes firmly that theirs is the best! The knafeh is best served the next day, at room temperature, allowing the syrup to fluff and sweeten the dough. Keeps in a cool dry place for up to 10 days.
Ingredients
- 500 gr kadaif pastry, chopped into 1 cm
- 3 sticks of butter, melted
- 250 gr walnuts, pulsed in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Try and get the best walnuts you can get your hands on!
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
For the rose water sugar syrup you need:
- 2 cups of sugar
- 2 cups of water
- 1 tablespoon of rose water or orange blossom water
Method
- First mix together the walnuts sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.
- Place the chopped kadaif pastry in a big tray and pour over it the melted butter. Working with your hands make sure all of your dough is covered in butter, it will take some time but eventually it will happen.
- You can use any shape of tray you like. The bigger it is the thinner the layer of dough will be so it is really up to you and what you prefer.
- Brush your chosen tray with just a bit of melted butter. Take half the dough and evenly spread it on the bottom of the tray and press firmly. Add the walnut mixture all over the dough. Add the other half of the dough and again press firmly.
- Place in pre heated oven at 180°C until golden in color.
- While your knafeh is cooking prepare the rose water sugar syrup: Place sugar and water in heavy bottom sauce pan on medium heat until sugar is dissolved and it starts to simmer. Turn heat down and let simmer until reduced and thickened. Turn off heat and add the rose water.
- Drench the knafeh in rose water sugar syrup as soon as out of the oven.
- Both syrup and knafeh have to be hot.
If you find the rose water syrup to be too much for your taste add as much as you like…I love mine extremely sweet 🙂