Lebanese Knafeh Recipe with Semolina is easy to follow. Although it’s so universal and readily available in frozen packages in most supermarkets, preparing yours at home is better. The quality for a homemade Lebanese knafeh is unmatched and the texture is irresistible.
Knafeh is a popular dessert in almost every household in the Middle East. It is also known as Kunafe, Kunafa, or Konafi among other names.
Let me now guide you on how to prepare a Lebanese knafeh with semolina that is super crunchy yet smooth with sweet cheese and topped with syrup.
Lebanese Knafeh Recipe with Semolina
Contents
Ingredients
For rose water syrup
- 1.5 cups of sugar
- ¾ cups of water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon rose water
The crust
- ½ package/ 3 cups of shredded Kataifi stringy pastry; you can substitute with corn flakes crumbs
- 1 cup unsalted butter melted
The cream
- 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup of double cream
- 1/3 cup of fine semolina
Instructions
For the rose syrup
- Combine sugar, lemon juice and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the ingredients thicken into syrup. Add the rose water and remove from heat.
For the crust
- Process the Kataifi in a food processor until it crumbles uniformly (unless using the cornflakes). Add the unsalted melted butter and mix well.
- Use some of the crumbs and coat a 10-inch pie plate with it. ( you can also use a spring cake tin) Compress the crumb on the base and sides. Reserve some of the crumbs to coat the top.
For the cream
- Heat the cream and milk in a saucepan over medium-high heat until hot but not boiling.
- Add the semolina and cook for an extra 2 minutes while constantly stirring until the mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat, add the grated mozzarella cheese and stir to mix evenly.
- Pour this cream mixture over the prepared pan, making sure to level the top. Chill in the fridge for the cheese to firm.
- Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius when the cheese chills.
- Coat the firmed cheese with the reserved buttered crumb mix
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until it’s you get a rich golden brown color
- Remove from the oven and leave it to cool for 15 minutes. Coat with the syrup and serve warm.
- Enjoy the soft texture!
Ingredients for Knafeh Recipe with Semolina
For rose water syrup
- 1.5 cups of sugar
- ¾ cups of water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon rose water
The crust
- ½ package/ 3 cups of shredded Kataifi (stringy pastry); you can substitute with corn flakes crumbs
- 1 cup unsalted butter (melted)
The cream
- 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup of double cream
- 1/3 cup of fine semolina
Preparation for Lebanese Knafeh Recipe with Semolina
Prep time: 40 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Wait time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Arabic/Middle Eastern
Yield: 4 servings
Instructions
For the rose syrup
- Combine sugar, lemon juice and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the ingredients thicken into syrup. Add the rose water and remove from heat.
The crust
- Process the Kataifi in a food processor until it crumbles uniformly (unless using the cornflakes). Add the unsalted melted butter and mix well.
- Use some of the crumbs and coat a 10-inch pie plate with it. ( you can also use a spring cake tin) Compress the crumb on the base and sides. Reserve some of the crumbs to coat the top.
For the cream
- Heat the cream and milk in a saucepan over medium-high heat until hot but not boiling.
- Add the semolina and cook for an extra 2 minutes while constantly stirring until the mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat, add the grated mozzarella cheese and stir to mix evenly.
- Pour this cream mixture over the prepared pan, making sure to level the top. Chill in the fridge for the cheese to firm.
- Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius when the cheese chills.
- Coat the firmed cheese with the reserved buttered crumb mix
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until it’s you get a rich golden brown color
- Remove from the oven and leave it to cool for 15 minutes. Coat with the syrup and serve warm.
- Enjoy the soft texture!
Lebanese Knafeh with Semolina Nutrition Information
Serving size: 50 grams
- Calories: 160 kcal
- Total fat: 8 grams
- Saturated fat: 2.5 grams
- Sodium: 55 mg
- Carbohydrates: 20 grams
- Cholesterol: 10 mg
- Fiber: 1 gram
- Protein: 3 grams
- Sugars: 7 grams
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