In Homs, Syria, where Reyad is from, he worked in the family bakery that had been passed down from his grandfather. They baked and sold many kinds of Mediterranean pastries, including konafa, a cheese-filled dessert made with shredded filo.
Reyad still enjoys baking. Not long after he arrived here as a refugee, he remembers inviting a Syrian friend to eat at his house and serving him konafa. His friend said eating the delicious dessert brought back good memories of their home country, and even made Reyad’s friend feel like he was back in Syria again.
Recipe:
- Syrup
- 1½ cups water
- 2 cups sugar
- Juice of half a lemon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla or 2 teaspoons
- orange blossom water
- Cheese Layer
- 1 cup whole-milk ricotta
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons whole milk
- 2 tablespoons mascarpone cream
- 1 (16-ounce) package kataifi
- (shredded filo dough) or shred
- regular filo dough with a knife
- 1 cup ghee or clarified butter,
- plus 1½ tablespoons
- 1 teaspoon kunafa red coloring
- powder (optional)
- ½ cup pistachio nuts, chopped, for garnish
Instructions:
- The day before making the dessert, place frozen kataifi in the fridge for 8 hours to
thaw. Then leave on the counter for 2 hours at room temperature before using. - Preheat oven to 350°F.
- To make the syrup, combine water and sugar in a saucepan. Cook over medium
heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and a syrup forms. - Cook for 5 minutes longer, stirring. During this time, the syrup will become thicker.
134 Recipes for Refuge - Add lemon juice and vanilla or orange blossom water. Cook for another 2 minutes.
Turn off heat, set aside, and allow to cool to room temperature. Syrup should be
completely cooled before using on the hot pastry. - To use kataifi, the long pastry threads need to be slightly shredded. Put kataifi in a
bowl and pull apart with hands. Then cut threads by hand with kitchen scissors or in
a food processor. - If using a food processor, put kataifi inside, close lid, and pulse (use the sharp edge
of the blade). While pulsing, gradually add 1 cup ghee or clarified butter in 1 tablespoon increments. If cutting with kitchen scissors, make pieces about 1 inch long.
Add to a large bowl. Drizzle the ghee or clarified butter into the bowl, then use your
fingers to evenly distribute throughout. - Transfer the kataifi mixture into a frying pan and brown on medium heat for about 4
minutes to slightly toast the mixture. - For the sweet cheese, combine ricotta, sugar, and mascarpone cream. Add just
enough milk to make the liquid mixture pourable, and then set aside. - Generously grease a large round 8- to 9-inch aluminum pan (or a large quiche pan)
with 1½ tablespoons ghee or clarified butter. If using coloring powder, pour the
powder on the ghee, spread the ghee and powder evenly on the bottom of the baking
pan. - Put ⅔ of the kataifi mixture into the baking pan. Press the mixture across the bottom
of the pan with your hands or the flat base of a cup. Add the sweet cheese in an even
layer on top of the kataifi. Add the remainder of the kataifi mixture evenly over the
cheese layer and press this on the top of the cheese layer. - Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 20 minutes until the edges are
golden brown. At the end, broil for 1–2 minutes to get a nice light brown color. - Remove from the oven. While the pastry is hot, pour half of the cooled syrup in circles over the pastry. Let it rest for about 10 minutes, or until the syrup is absorbed.
- Put a serving plate upside down on top of the baking pan and flip the pan and plate
over gently so the konafa falls onto the serving plate. Cut into rectangles or diamonds and sprinkle with chopped pistachios. If desired, add more syrup to further
sweeten the dessert.
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