FISTIKLI & PEYNİRLİ KÜNEFE

KUNEFE WITH CHEESE & PISTACHIO

Ingredients:

• 1 pound shredded fillo dough
• 1 stick of butter ( melted)
• 3 tbsp of whole pistachios

Filling:

• 1 cup finely chopped pistachio
• mixture of 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese+1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese  ( or 1 cup of Turkish sweet cheese )

Syrup:

• 3 cups of granulated sugar
• 2 cups of water
• juice of 1/4 lemon

For the syrup; take 3 cups of sugar, and 2 cups of water in a medium pot. Bring it to the boil over medium heat. Boil for 7-8 minutes. Add juice of 1/4 lemon into the pot and boil for another 5 minutes. Turn the heat off. Set a side.

 Take kataifi from the freezer and break it into small pieces in a mixing bowl immediately. Let it thaw for ten minutes. Then add melted butter  and whole  pistachios in it and mix it evenly. In a 13-inch round tray, take the first half of kataifi and press and spread the cheese mixture and on top of cheese, spread chopped pistachio  all over the first half of kataifi,then spread the second half of kataifi all over the filling and gently press.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bake for about 50  minutes or until nicely brown. Take the kunefe out of the oven and spoon cold syrup over it immediately .

Cut kunefe into square shapes. Serve warm.