Dessert
Mini Knafeh with Pistachios and Rose Syrup
Kataifi pastry wraps a mozzarella-ricotta filling in these individual knafeh. Bake them in muffin pans until crisp, then spoon syrup over the warm pieces and add pistachios.
- Yield
- 24 pieces
- Cuisine
- Middle Eastern
Bring it to the table
Keep the cheese centered
Press the butter-coated kataifi around the base and sides of each cup. Add the filling in the middle, away from the pan, before covering with the remaining pastry and pressing firmly.
At the table
Unmold carefully while warm and spoon syrup over each piece. Finish with crushed pistachios and optional dried rose petals.
Before you start
Gather your ingredients.
Full quantities and serving adjustments are in the recipe card below.
See the ingredient checklist
- 12 oz whole-milk mozzarella — coarsely grated
- 6 oz whole-milk ricotta
- 1 cup ghee or clarified butter — melted
- 1/2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt — or use half as much Morton kosher salt
- orange food coloring — optional; oil-based or powdered is easiest to blend
- 1 lb kataifi shredded phyllo pastry — fresh or frozen and thawed
- 200 g sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp rose water or orange-flower water — optional
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup raw pistachios — finely chopped or crushed
- 1/4 cup dried edible rose petals — optional
A few useful notes.
The base batch uses two standard 12-cup muffin pans.
Food coloring is optional. The pastry can bake to a golden color without it.
Use edible rose petals sold for culinary use if adding them. Keep the cheese filling centered to help the pieces release from their cups.
The cooking plan
How to make Mini Knafeh with Pistachios and Rose Syrup.
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Heat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the middle. Mix the mozzarella and ricotta in a bowl. In another bowl, mix the melted ghee and salt, adding optional food coloring until evenly distributed.
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Cut the kataifi into roughly 1-inch lengths and separate the strands into a large bowl. Pour over the ghee mixture and rub and toss gently until the pastry is evenly coated. Food-safe gloves can help keep optional coloring off your hands.
-
Divide about a quarter cup of pastry into each of 24 standard muffin cups. Press over the bases and up the sides to create wells. Add a heaping tablespoon of cheese filling in the center of each, keeping it away from the sides.
-
Divide the remaining kataifi over the cheese and press firmly with a spoon or your palm until almost level with the pan. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until crisp.
-
Meanwhile, bring the sugar, lemon juice, optional rose or orange-flower water and measured water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally for about 3 minutes, until the sugar dissolves, then remove from the heat.
-
Place a baking sheet over a muffin pan and, using oven mitts, invert carefully to release the knafeh. Repeat with the other pan. Spoon 1–2 tablespoons syrup over each warm piece and finish with pistachios and optional rose petals.
Let’s cook
The full recipe.
Check off ingredients as you get them ready.
Changing servings? The ingredient list scales automatically. Adjust quantities named in the steps to match, and choose pans and cooking times for your batch.
Mini Knafeh with Pistachios and Rose Syrup
Ingredients
- 12 oz whole-milk mozzarella coarsely grated
- 6 oz whole-milk ricotta
- 1 cup ghee or clarified butter melted
- ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt or use half as much Morton kosher salt
- orange food coloring optional; oil-based or powdered is easiest to blend
- 1 lb kataifi shredded phyllo pastry fresh or frozen and thawed
- 200 g sugar
1 tsp lemon juice- 1 tsp rose water or orange-flower water optional
- ¾ cup water
- ¼ cup raw pistachios finely chopped or crushed
- ¼ cup dried edible rose petals optional
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the middle. Mix the mozzarella and ricotta in a bowl. In another bowl, mix the melted ghee and salt, adding optional food coloring until evenly distributed.
- Cut the kataifi into roughly 1-inch lengths and separate the strands into a large bowl. Pour over the ghee mixture and rub and toss gently until the pastry is evenly coated. Food-safe gloves can help keep optional coloring off your hands.
- Divide about a quarter cup of pastry into each of 24 standard muffin cups. Press over the bases and up the sides to create wells. Add a heaping tablespoon of cheese filling in the center of each, keeping it away from the sides.
- Divide the remaining kataifi over the cheese and press firmly with a spoon or your palm until almost level with the pan. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until crisp.
- Meanwhile, bring the sugar, lemon juice, optional rose or orange-flower water and measured water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally for about 3 minutes, until the sugar dissolves, then remove from the heat.
- Place a baking sheet over a muffin pan and, using oven mitts, invert carefully to release the knafeh. Repeat with the other pan. Spoon 1–2 tablespoons syrup over each warm piece and finish with pistachios and optional rose petals.
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!A couple of useful answers.
Is food coloring necessary?
No. It is optional; omit it if you prefer the natural golden color of the baked pastry.
When should the syrup go on?
Unmold the baked knafeh carefully, then spoon syrup over them while they are warm and add the pistachios.
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