Nabulsi Knafeh

Ingredients

The Crust & Filling:

  • 500g (1/2 kilo) yellow Knafeh dough (shredded phyllo pastry)

  • 250g (1/4 kilo) GEBNA Syrian String Cheese (Mshallaleh) or Akkawi cheese

  • 1 cup authentic ghee (clarified butter), melted

  • 2 tbsp sugar

  • Crushed Aleppo pistachios (for garnish)

The Heavy Syrup (Ater):

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 1 cup water

  • (Optional: A squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a dash of rose water)

Instructions

1. Desalt the Cheese (Crucial Step!)

  • Because authentic GEBNA String Cheese is naturally salty, you must desalt it for this dessert. Unravel the cheese, chop it, and soak it in a bowl of warm water. Change the water every 15 minutes for about an hour until the salt is completely gone. Squeeze it completely dry before using.

2. Prepare the Knafeh Dough

  • Tip: Keep the Knafeh dough in the freezer the day before; this makes it much easier to crumble! * Chop or blend the Knafeh dough until it is very fine.

  • Place the finely chopped dough in a bowl, add the 2 tablespoons of sugar and the 1 cup of melted ghee. Rub and toss the mixture thoroughly with your hands until every strand of the dough is coated in the ghee.

3. Layer the Base

  • Generously grease a round, shallow baking tray with ghee.

  • Spread the majority of the Knafeh dough evenly across the bottom of the tray. Press it down very firmly and tightly to create a solid, compact base layer.

4. Add the Cheese

  • Distribute the desalted, dry GEBNA cheese evenly over the compacted dough.

  • Important: Keep the cheese about 1 inch away from the edges of the pan so it doesn’t melt onto the sides and burn.

  • Scatter a very thin, light layer of the remaining Knafeh dough over the top of the cheese.

5. Cook on the Stovetop

  • Place the tray directly on the stovetop over medium-low heat.

  • Slowly rotate the tray constantly (about every minute) to ensure it cooks evenly.

  • Once the bottom is a deep, crispy golden brown and the edges slightly pull away from the pan, carefully flip the Knafeh onto a serving platter or another greased tray.

6. Syrup and Serve

  • While cooking, simmer the 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water in a small pot until it thickens into a heavy syrup.

  • Immediately pour the warm syrup evenly over the hot Knafeh as soon as it is flipped.

  • Garnish generously with crushed pistachios, slice, and serve immediately while the cheese is hot and perfectly stretchy!