There's nothing quite like a buttery spoonful of the Kunafa with Cream as a part of your late supper during the beautiful month of Ramadan. The crunchy layer of the Kunafa pastry, filled with luscious milky cream, and adorned with your favourite pistachios, makes your day-long hunger disappear instantly.
Kunafa with Cream is a magnificent Arabic dessert savoured, especially during the month of Ramadan. What is the month of Ramadan, you may ask? It is a long month filled with fasting, celebrations, a month of delving into spirituality and spending time with family.
What is Kunafa with Cream?
Kunafa with Cream is a famous Arabic Dessert, made by layering crispy pastry and thick cream on top of each other and finally drizzled with some sweet and slightly tangy lemon syrup. As the dish gains more fame, recipes have replaced the "Kunafa" with some good-old phyllo dough.
The Kunafa made using phyllo dough does have the capabilities to make you ecstatic. Traditional Kunafa dough is made from one primary ingredient- some roasted vermicelli. And the recipe we're sharing is so traditional; it will almost feel like it is taken from Nablus, a city credited for making the best Kunafa's in the world.
Why this recipe?
Other than being a Mediterranean heartthrob, Kunafa with Cream is a great dessert to indulge in for people all over the world. Especially for those who have a knack for cooking up different cuisines, this will be one enticing challenge.
What's in Kunafa and Cream?
This recipe consists of preparing three different elements, which all require different ingredients. They are:
The crispy Kunafa layer
- Kunafa dough: You can easily find this online
- Ghee: You can either find this online or try your nearest Indian store
- Pistachios for topping: You can grate this coarsely
The Syrup
- Granulated sugar: White sugar
- Vanilla extract: Or Vanilla Essence
- Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed or store-bought
- Honey (optional): For a syrup that's not just sweet but flavourful
The Cream
- Milk: Whole works best
- Heavy cream: A brand and quality you personally love
- Corn flour: You probably already have in your kitchen
How to make the Kunafa with Cream?
In order to make this scrumptious Kunafa with Cream Dessert, we'd have to first prepare the syrup and cream separately and then assemble them with the Kunafa pastry in the end. So let's start by making the syrup first
Making the syrup:
Toss your granulated sugar and water into a saucepan while it's on high heat. Bring this sugar and water mixture to a boil, and then turn the heat down. If you'd like, drizzle some honey into the mix and let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes on low heat.
This is optional if you don't want to add the honey or don't have honey at home. You can go ahead and skip the honey.
Finally, add lemon juice and the vanilla extract, stir well, and turn off the heat. Set the syrup aside to cool completely.
Once the syrup is ready, let us proceed to whip up the cream.
Make the cream (Ashta):
Take out a large saucepan or pot, and add the sugar, cornflour, heavy cream, and milk. Consistently stir all these ingredients together over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until it comes to a boil.
Keep whisking the mixture until it thickens. Lastly, add vanilla extract, stir and turn off the heat. Set aside this cream to cool before assembling the Kunafa with Cream together.
Preparing the Kunafa:
Before beginning, preheat the oven to 200C and grease a 22 cm baking pan with ghee (spread the ghee well on the bottom and sides of the pan).
Place the Kunafa dough in a large bowl, and use kitchen scissors to cut it into 3-4 cm strips.
Now, pour the melted ghee over the Kunafa and mix it thoroughly.
Spread half of the Kunafa on the bottom and sides of the baking pan, and press on it with your hands to create a nice, flat layer of Kunafa.
Next, pour the cream (Ashta) filling on top of the Kunafa and spread it.
Finally, cover the cream layer with the remaining Kunafa, and press it down gently.
Place the baking pan in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until the top becomes a gorgeous golden brown. Take it out of the oven.
Straight away, as soon as you take the pan out of the oven, pour the cooled syrup evenly all over the top.
Let the syrup sit on the Kunafa for 10 minutes, so all the syrup is well absorbed.
Sprinkle some chopped pistachio on top, and cut it to pieces before you serve. Your Mediterranean treat is ready to capture some hearts!
Top Tips!
- Make enough syrup to drizzle over the Kunafa and to serve alongside it.
- Cutting and serving a Kunafa with Cream dessert can be a tricky job. We suggest you use a knifepoint and stab to cut a triangle (as you would do with a cake) and use a cake server to pull the piece out and serve.
Recipe Variations
- You can use some Ricotta in your cream to make it more rich and dense.
- Some like to flavour their syrup and cream with some water, such as rose water or orange blossom water.
- It's a popular tradition to add some rose petals alongside the pistachios across the Mediterranean. It makes the dessert look even more exquisite.
Serving Suggestions
There's no better end to a long day of fasting than slurping on some Kunafa with Cream dessert. Served after a great Ramadan dinner or alongside some coffee or chai (tea), this Kunafa recipe is a unique delight that tends to witness the chirpy laughter of family and friends where ever it goes. Don't forget to serve it along with some syrup that we saved before, just for those guests with an extra sweet tooth!
Recipe FAQ's
Well, that totally depends on how delicious you make it! Jokes aside, the Kunafa with Cream Dessert is best consumed the day it is made. However, if there are leftovers, they can last 2-3 days in the fridge.
Traditionally, Kunafa is served hot with its crunchy and crispy layers perfectly complimenting the soft cream within. If not served hot, many people prefer this dessert to be at least nice and warm. Although it's not culturally served cold, you can definitely try it. Don't forget to leave a comment to let others know how it was.
Have you checked a local Arab Store, or perhaps good-old amazon? Replacing phyllo dough for Kunafa dough won't work well in this Kunafa with cream recipe as the texture and taste will be totally different.
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Kunafa with Cream (Ashta) - Easy Arabic Dessert
Ingredients
- 400 g Kunafa dough
- ½ cup ghee
For the Syrup
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoon honey
For the cream
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 5 tablespoon cornflour
- 4 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping
- 2 tablespoon pistachio , finely minced
Instructions
Make the syrup
- Add sugar and water to a saucepan over high heat, bring to a boil, then turn the heat down, add honey (if used) and let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add lemon juice and vanilla extract, stir well, then turn off the heat. Let the syrup cool completely.
Make the cream (Ashta)
- Add sugar, cornflour, heavy cream and milk in a large saucepan or pot, stir well to combine (make sure there are no lumps at all).
- Constantly whisk the mixture over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until it comes to a boil. Keep whisking until the mixture thickens. Add vanilla extract, stir and turn off the heat. Allow the cream to cool.
Preparing the Kunafa
- Preheat the oven to 200C, grease a 22 cm baking pan with ghee (spread the ghee well on the bottom and sides of the pan).
- Put the Kunafa dough in a large bowl, use kitchen scissors to cut it into 3-4 cm strips.
- Now, pour the melted ghee over the Kunafa and mix it thoroughly.
- Spread half of the Kunafa on the bottom and sides of the baking pan, press on it with your hands to have a flat layer of Kunafa.
- Pour the cream (Ashta) filling on top of the Kunafa and spread it.
- Cover the cream layer with the remaining Kunafa, press it down gently.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the top becomes golden. Take it out of the oven.
- As soon as you take the pan out of the oven, pour the cooled syrup evenly over the top.
- Let it sit for 10 minutes, so all the syrup is absorbed.
- Sprinkle chopped pistachio on top, then cut it and serve.
Notes
- Make enough syrup to drizzle over the Kunafa with Cream and to serve alongside it.
- Cutting and serving a Kunafa with Cream dessert can be a tricky job. We suggest you use a knifepoint and stab to cut a triangle (as you would do with a cake) and use a cake server to pull the piece out and serve.
Recipe Variations
- You can use some Ricotta in your cream to make it more rich and dense.
- Some like to flavour their syrup and cream with some water, such as rose water or orange blossom water.
- It's a popular tradition to add some rose petals alongside the pistachios across the Mediterranean. It makes the dessert look even more exquisite.
Nutrition
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Iko says
Tried it for Ramadan, delicious!! 10/10
lisa matthews says
My husband is Lebanese Armenian and my mother n law makes this her way and its so good I've also had Kunafa at an Armenian pastry shop in Pasadena CA about 6 -7 years ago, the last time i had it, Oh lord let me tell you, its so darn yummy i could never get enough of it,, we moved up north and havent found any pastry places that have this, its the best pastry, I have this recipe pinned along with a few other ones I just started baking and this is one thing i have to try ...I most certainly have to make this..
Beth says
Can I use butter instead of ghee?
Radwa says
No, using ghee is important in making the recipe and can't be replaced with butter or oil.
Elena says
We are in Ramadan, and this is the perfect dessert for today.
Naomy says
Can I replace the cream layer with nuts?
Radwa says
Yes, you can replace the cream with half a cup of mixed nuts, coconut and raisins. Remember to chop the nuts.
Catrina says
Wow, I love this kind of dessert, the one with a thick cream layer.