Mini Kunafa with Ricotta cheese is not only a delight for your sweet cravings but the eyes as well. Its beauty and color aesthetics eventually enhances the beauty of your festive tables. Mini Kunafa is filled with ricotta cheese generously poured with fragrant sugar syrup.

In case you are not familiar with Kunafa, it is simply a dessert pie. Yet it tastes much better than any ordinary dessert pie. The texture is quite crunchy and soft because of the clotted cream and cheese in it. Nothing beats Kunafa when it comes to trying a dessert that has been pleasing palates for years. The vibrant orange and green colors of the dish make it a show-stopper.

Significance of Mini Kunafa in the Middle East

Mini Kunafa is a festive dessert for the people living in the Middle East. It contributes to the festivities of their different occasions. We all know desserts are the major and most delicious part of Middle Eastern cuisines. Kunafa is one of the most well-known desserts in the Middle East. It also serves across Egypt and Turkish restaurants. Some food historians believe that mini Kunafa has an Arabic origin.

Why mini Kunafa has a distinguished name in desserts?

The crunchy and soft texture of mini Kunafa is a favorite dessert pie of all ages. It contains cheese which is rarely found in any other dessert. A thin layer of thinly sweetened ricotta cheese is layered on top of this Kunafa recipe, which is then immersed in sugar syrup. You can serve it hot or cold. This flaky pastry is buttery, and it encases a dairy pudding with a soft cheese flavor. The finished product is topped with a drizzle of plain syrup and crushed pistachios. This adds a richer feel to taste buds and makes Kunafa a winning dessert.

Mini Kunafa with ricotta cheese ingrediants?

• Ricotta cheese: Ricotta cheese is a star ingredient in mini Kunafa. Bad quality ricotta can spoil your whole effort. Ricotta cheese is responsible for the texture of your mini Kunafa.
• Mozzarella cheese: I will suggest using shredded mozzarella cheese along with ricotta cheese. It is a secret ingredient to have the best cheesy mini Kunafa.
• Kunafa dough: It's a vermicelli-like fluffy, twisted, super-thin pastry that's widely available in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. You can find it in the frozen Greek department of most major supermarkets in non-Middle Eastern countries. You can use fresh or frozen in this recipe.
• Ghee: Ghee is preferable to butter. But if you like soft Kunafa rather than crunchy, then you can use clarified butter. Clarified butter will not give a denser texture.

Ingredients for topping

• Pistachio: Minced Pistachio is perfect for the topping of Kunafa. It enhances the beauty of Kunafa and taste as well.
• Dry rose petals: Dry rose petals increase the beauty of Kunafa and provide a soothing fragrance.

Ingredients for syrup

• Sugar: The tanginess of the cheese is cut by a smidgeon of sugar. If you want a tangier filling, feel free to skip it.
• Water and Lemon juice: Few drops of lemon add to taste.
  Note: Notice the color of the syrup. It shouldn’t be too dark or too light. It shifts the subtle sweetness of the syrup.

How to make delicious mini Kunafa with ricotta cheese?

Preparations:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C or 365F.
• Grease a 12 cup muffin tin with ghee generously.

Preparing the syrup: In a saucepan, add water, sugar and lemon juice over medium heat, bring to a boil. Stir just to combine and let it simmer for 5 minutes more, then turn off the heat and let the syrup cool down.

Preparing the filling: In a small bowl, mix ricotta cheese and mozzarella cheese well until combined.

Step by step preparation of Kunafa:

1. Put the Kunafa dough in the food processor. Pulse the dough until it is finely shredded (about to 2cm strips).
2. Put the shredded Kunafa in a large bowl. Add the melted ghee and mix it well with the Kunafa.
   Note: Make sure to coat all the Kunafa dough evenly with the ghee.
3. Place one tablespoon of the Kunafa inside the muffin cavity. Press it down towards the bottom and at the sides of the muffin’s tin cavity.
4. Now, place a tablespoon of ricotta cheese on top of the first layer of Kunafa.
5. Sprinkle another tablespoon of the Kunafa evenly on the top of the cheese and press it down gently with your fingers.
6. Baking: Bake for 30minutes or until it turns golden brown. Then remove it from the oven and immediately drizzle with the syrup.
7. Top it with some minced pistachio and rose petals and serve.

Top Tips

• Do not use any alternative for ricotta cheese. Ricotta cheese gives the appropriate denser texture.
• To keep your Kunafa dough fluffy, make sure to leave no lumps.
• Use your palms instead of a spatula to press the Kunafa. Palms can press the Kunafa more evenly.

Recipe Variations

• Traditionally these Mini Kunafas made with Akkawi or Nabulsi cheese. You'll need to rinse these cheeses in water to remove the salt. They're difficult to come by, and they need a lot of time to prepare before they can be included. Consequently, different regions variated this simple recipe based on their accessible and local ingredients. It results in a wide variety of Kunafas around the world.
• Turkish Kunafa is made in a metal mold that is covered with whipped cream. Turkish chefs use a stringy soft cheese made from sheep and cow’s milk.
• The Lebanese Kunafa is often served on breakfast tables. They use semolina flour and mozzarella for dough. Lebanese Kunafa serves with orange syrup.
• The Jordan chefs use mozzarella for filling. They add extra ricotta and a sprinkle of raisins and ground nuts on top.

Serving Suggestions

Mini Kunafa should be enjoyed as soon as it comes out of the oven. It's better to eat it while it's hot. You can also cut this Mini Kunafa into small cubes, making it easy to eat and serve. After cutting the Kunafa into mini cubes, pour the syrup over them. Serve the mini Kunafa with the toppings of dry rose petals and minced pistachios. You can serve it with Arabic tea or mint tea.

Recipe FAQs

How long can we store mini Kunafa?

You can store it for up to 2-3 days, but I suggest having it fresh.

Which countries are famous for mini Kunafa?

All The Middle East countries such as Turkey and Egypt are famous for the most delicious Kunafa.

Can we make mini Kunafa dough at home?

Yes, you can make it at home. Flour, semolina, oil, water, and a pinch of salt are combined to make Kunafa dough. The dough must have a runny consistency. The batter is poured onto a big non-stick hot plate from a cup with tiny holes in the rim. Kunafa dough comes in three varieties: hard, delicate, or a combination of fine and rough.

Should I Serve Mini Kunafa hot or cold?

Traditional, it serves hot, and I prefer hot Kunafa as well. However, you can serve them according to your taste. You can serve Mini Kunafa either hot or cold.

Is there any alternative to ricotta cheese?

Ricotta cheese is the best ingredient for the Kunafa filling. You may use mascarpone instead of ricotta if it is not available in your region.

What is the difference between Kunafa and Baklava?

Baklava and Kunafa differ in their dough. In mini Kunafa, we use a Kunafa dough, while in Baklava, we use a phyllo pastry.

More Middle Eastern Desserts

• Sahlab (Mediterranean milk pudding)
• Bougatsa - Greek filo custard pie
• Sweet Kunafa Recipe
• Greek custard pie with syrup (Galaktoboureko)
• Homemade Ricotta Cheese

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