A symphony of flavors and textures, this konafa with mastic mahalabiya is in contrast to something you’ll find at your native bakery – a recipe steeped in custom but brimming with creativity.
It’s a particular household creation by Omneya “Minnie” Negm, featured in her now-retired cookbook, Minnie’s Style of Mediterranean Delight. Rising up in Egypt, Minnie, now in her 60s, was impressed by her household’s love of meals and the colourful culinary traditions surrounding her. When she was youthful, she dreamed up this distinctive twist on the traditional konafa, mixing it with one other iconic dessert, mahalabiya, to create a dish that’s as indulgent as it’s unforgettable.
In Egypt and throughout the Center East, konafa (additionally spelled knafeh and kunafa) is a dessert that holds a cherished place at celebratory tables, historically crammed with nuts, clotted cream, or cheese. Minnie’s model, nonetheless, takes it to the subsequent stage, marrying two beloved desserts into one decadent creation. It is a recipe you’ll hardly ever see being made at house, and also you’re unlikely to search out it bought wherever.
Minnie’s Style of Mediterranean Delight was greater than only a cookbook – it was a labor of affection created to help deprived households in Egypt. With all proceeds going to charity, the cookbook offered not solely cherished recipes but additionally hope and sustenance to impoverished communities. Now, Minnie is sharing her legacy with Egyptian Streets, inviting readers to expertise her much-loved household creations.
If in case you have been trying to find a dessert that mixes the comforting heat of custom with the joys of one thing new, this konafa recipe is looking your identify. Once you put together this konafa with mahalabiya (particularly ‘mastic mahalabiya’), you’re not simply making a dessert – you’re savoring an revolutionary twist on a traditional and indulging in a slice of Egyptian historical past. Every chew carries the richness of custom, the enjoyment of creativity, and the generosity of a cookbook that actually made a distinction.
Make certain to return again every week for extra recipes by Minnie!
Konafa with Mastic Mahalabiya Recipe
Serves: 6-8
Substances
For the Konafa:
- 500 grams konafa dough (typically bought as kataifi pastry)
- 250 grams butter (melted)
- Mastic Mahalabiya (see recipe under)
For the Syrup:
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup water
- ½ lemon
For the Mahalabiya:
- 2 cups milk
- ½ cup thickened or whipping cream
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 tbsp cornflour
- 1 tsp vanilla sugar and two crushed mastics (Be aware: if you’re not a fan of mastic, you possibly can drop the mastic and simply use vanilla sugar with no modifications to the quantity)
Instructions
Put together the Syrup:
- In a saucepan, mix the sugar, water, and lemon.
- Boil on medium warmth till the syrup barely thickens.
- Enable the syrup to chill, then refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
Put together the Mahalabiya:
-
- In a pot, convey the milk and sugar to a boil over medium warmth.
- Dissolve the cornflour in ¼ cup milk or water. Regularly stir it into the boiling combination.
- Add the cream and vanilla, stirring constantly till the combination thickens. Take away from warmth and put aside.
- Be aware: If in case you have made an excessive amount of mahalabiya, you possibly can pour the rest in small bowls, refrigerate it for 2 hours and eat it as a creamy milk pudding by itself!
Assemble the Konafa:
- Preheat your oven to 160°C (320°F).
- Break the konafa dough into small items and place in a big bowl.
- Pour the melted butter over the konafa dough and blend completely utilizing your palms to make sure even coating.
- Unfold half of the konafa dough evenly on the underside of a 24-26 cm spherical baking tray, urgent firmly to create a compact layer.
- Pour the recent mahalabiya over the bottom, leaving a 2 cm hole across the edges of the tray.
- Cowl the mahalabiya with the remaining konafa dough, ranging from the sides and dealing in the direction of the middle. Gently press down to make sure even protection. Be aware: If in case you have ended up with an excessive amount of konafa dough, solely use the quantity wanted to evenly cowl the highest of the mahalabiya.
- Bake for 25-Half-hour or till the highest is golden brown.
End and Serve:
- Take away the konafa from the oven. Utilizing a big spoon, evenly pour the cooled sugar syrup over the recent konafa to style (keep in mind, you possibly can all the time add extra). If in case you have any leftover sugar syrup, you possibly can retailer it within the fridge.
- (Optionally available) Garnish with crushed pistachios.
- Serve sizzling, sliced into triangles.
- Tip: In order for you a extra ‘picturesque’ presentation of the konafa, you possibly can fastidiously flip the konafa onto a serving tray (see picture above).
Storage Tip
If the amount is just too massive, you possibly can divide the ready konafa into two smaller baking trays. Wrap tightly and freeze for as much as three months. This makes it an ideal alternative for entertaining – you possibly can bake one tray now and save one other for a future celebration.
Take pleasure in your scrumptious, selfmade konafa!
