Orange Blossom Konafi
Meet Konafi, the Middle Eastern sweet cheese pastry that is about to change your life. A cousin of baklava, Konafi is an adventure of texture and flavor. Instead of layers of crispy filo dough that shatter on contact, Konafi uses shredded filo dough, which means there’s infinite surface area to crisp up. Layered between these magical threads (called katafi) is sweetened creamy farmers’ cheese fragranced with orange blossom flour. Top it all off with some zippy lemon syrup and you’ve got yourself a dessert that is completely swoon-worthy. Seen throughout the Middle East glistening behind pastry shop windows in massive sheet trays, Konafi is a favorite treat that gets tweaked by the many cultures who use the simple recipe as a canvas. My rendition tones down the sweetness and swaps the massive pan for individually-sized ramekins. Prep the ramekins ahead of time and pop them in the oven as you sit down for your meal. That’s what I call dinner party approved!
Orange Blossom Konafi (serves 2)
Lemon Syrup Ingredients (this will yield extra)
1 cup white sugar
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Filling Ingredients
1 cup farmers cheese or ricotta
⅛ cup white sugar
Orange blossom water (optional)
Katafi Ingredients
⅛ cup heavy cream
⅙ pound katafi (found in the freezer section of Middle Eastern and Russian grocery stores)
Make the lemon syrup: Combine sugar and a ½ cup of water in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly until sugar is dissolved. Stir in lemon zest and juice, cover, remove from heat and let rest for 15 minutes. Strain into a jar and set aside.
Mix the cheese and sugar in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate.
Make the katafi base: In a medium mixing bowl, combine katafi and cream. Divide half of the mixture into oiled ramekins. Press down to form an even layer. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Divide the cheese equally among the ramekins and spread into an even layer. Add a couple drops of orange blossom water into each ramekin. Top with remaining katafi.
Bake until golden brown, about 50 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes, then carefully lift out of the ramekins onto a plate.
Drizzle with your desired amount of lemon syrup and serve.