Egyptian Konafa Nuts Honey (Print Version)

Classic Egyptian dessert with crisp kataifi, spiced nut filling, and honey syrup for a rich finish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Konafa

01 - 1 lb kataifi (shredded phyllo dough), thawed
02 - 7 oz unsalted butter, melted

→ Nut Filling

03 - 5.3 oz walnuts, finely chopped
04 - 3.5 oz pistachios, finely chopped
05 - 1.8 oz almonds, finely chopped
06 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
07 - 1 tsp ground cinnamon
08 - 1/4 tsp ground cardamom

→ Honey Syrup

09 - 1 cup granulated sugar
10 - 1/2 cup water
11 - 2 tbsp honey
12 - 1 tsp lemon juice
13 - 1 tsp rose water or orange blossom water (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch round baking pan with melted butter.
02 - Gently separate kataifi strands with fingers. Divide in half. Press half evenly into the pan and drizzle with half the melted butter.
03 - Combine walnuts, pistachios, almonds, sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom in a bowl. Spread mixture evenly over kataifi base.
04 - Cover nut filling with remaining kataifi. Press gently and drizzle with remaining melted butter ensuring even coverage.
05 - Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until pastry is golden and crisp.
06 - While baking, combine sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in honey, lemon juice, and optional floral water. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
07 - Remove baked pastry from oven and immediately pour honey syrup evenly over it.
08 - Let cool for 30 minutes before slicing into diamonds or squares. Serve at room temperature.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It's the kind of dessert that looks intimidating but actually rewards patience and gentleness, not perfection.
  • The contrast between crispy pastry and the warm, fragrant honey syrup creates a moment of pure magic on your plate.
  • Once you master this, you'll have a showstopper that impresses everyone and tastes like you trained in Cairo.
02 -
  • The syrup must be warm or room-temperature when it meets the hot pastry, or it won't penetrate and your konafa will taste dry and hollow inside.
  • Separating the kataifi strands is where people stumble—rush it and you'll have dense clumps that bake unevenly; take five minutes and use your fingers like you're untangling delicate jewelry.
  • Cutting into the konafa while it's still hot will shatter it into chaos, so practice patience during those 30 minutes of cooling and your reward will be perfect, clean slices.
03 -
  • Always use melted butter at room temperature so it brushes smoothly and doesn't cook the kataifi before it goes in the oven.
  • Make your honey syrup while the konafa is baking so it's ready to pour immediately when the pastry comes out hot—this is the secret to perfect texture.
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