Knafeh Cheesecake
Decadent cheesecake meets traditional Palestinian knafeh! A match made in heaven, the flavors mesh perfectly. Looking at it, this yummy dessert might seem challenging to make, but trust me: It is effortless.
Ingredients
- 3 blocks cream cheese
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup sugar
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon orange blossom water
- ¾ package of kataifi dough
- 2 teaspoons powdered red food coloring optional
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- ½ block Akkawi cheese not in water brine
- Simple syrup for garnish
- pistachio for garnish
- 1 cup Ricotta for topping
Instructions
Make The Knafeh Cheesecake Filling
- In the bowl of a mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth, then add the sugar and beat again.
- Add the orange blossom and sour cream and mix again.
- On low speed, add the eggs one at a time. Don’t overmix.
- Add in the heavy cream and flour, mixing until just incorporated.
Make The Knafeh Cheesecake Crust
- Melt the butter and mix the red food coloring with it.
- Shred the knafeh dough, pour the red-colored butter all over, and mix well until each strand is colored.
- Spray a 9-inch springform pan well and cover it with parchment paper then spray again.
- Spread ½ of the listed knafeh dough into the pan and press it down.
- Place the remaining dough spread out on a baking sheet and bake both trays at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes, until crispy.
Assemble The Knafeh Cheesecake
- Place the filling on top of the baked crust and add the Akkawi cheese on top.
- Transfer to a deep baking pan and fill halfway up with boiling water, make sure the springform pan is double-wrapped in foil.
- Bake at 325 degrees F for 1 hour and 10 minutes, until the center is a little jiggled but the outer edges are firm.
- Turn off the oven, open the door slightly and let it cool for 30 minutes before transferring it to the fridge to cool for 4+ hours.
- Once cool, top with ricotta and the crunchy dough. Serve with pistachio and simple syrup. Enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure to de-salt the Akkawi cheese by soaking it in water for 6-8 hours and changing the water a couple of times because Akkawi cheese is so salty.
- Feel free to adjust the amount of the Akkawi cheese based on how thick you want the filling to be.
- Mix the ingredients of the filling on a low speed, but make sure to not overmix.
- If you don’t want to make a large dessert, you could make several smaller ones using mini muffin pans instead.
Nutrition
Calories: 254kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 3gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 30mgPotassium: 54mgFiber: 0.03gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 549IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 77mgIron: 0.2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!