Kanafa
"A favorite Palestinian dessert! Crunchy shredded phyllo dough is baked with a layer of creamy sweet cheese and then drenched in rosewater syrup. It's simple yet impressive. The cheese filling is traditionally made from Nabulsi cheese that is desalted. The ricotta-mozzarella mix is a great substitute, and lower-fat products can be used. If you have access to a Middle Eastern grocery, you can probably find kanafa dye, which turns the dough into the orange or reddish color that is the signature of kanafa."
Estimated Nutrition (whole recipe, rough)
Counts 5 of 9 ingredients — the other 4 aren't in our nutrition table and contribute nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume — 5 portions →
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Ricotta Cheese | 1/2 cup (124g) part-skim | 174 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Mozzarella Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 85 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Phyllo Dough | not in our table | 0 |
| Syrup | not in our table | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
| Rose | not in our table | 0 |
Totals for the whole recipe, adding one typical portion per ingredient — listed above. Quantities in the recipe are not counted, so this is a rough guide only — not suitable for medical or dietary planning.
Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce) box shredded phyllo dough (kataifi)
- 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 12 ounces unsalted butter
- For the syrup:
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/8 teaspoon rose water (optional)