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Egypt, Middle East and Africa · Egyptian Konafa with Cream (Konafa bel Eshta)

Konafa Cheesecake with Orange Blossom Syrup (Egyptian × New York)

A crisp, butter-baked kataifi crust under a rich New York-style cream cheese filling, finished with orange blossom syrup and pistachios.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time1 h
Chilling+ 4 h
DifficultyMedium
About servingsThe egg filling must be baked until set right through. Keep it refrigerated and eat within 3 days.

Method

  1. Put the syrup sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stir until dissolved and cook for in total, until slightly syrupy. Off the heat, add the lemon juice and orange blossom water and let it cool.

    Add in this stepSugar (for the syrup) 80 gWater (for the syrup) 50 mlLemon juice ½ tspOrange blossom water ½ tsp

    medium heat

  2. Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Snip the kataifi into 2 cm lengths with scissors, put it in a bowl, pour over the melted butter and rub it in with your fingertips until every strand is coated.

    Add in this stepKataifi (shredded pastry), thawed 100 gButter, melted 45 g

    oven

  3. Line the base of a 12 cm springform pan (or an ovenproof dish of the same size) with baking paper. Press the kataifi firmly over the base and 2 cm up the sides. Bake in the oven for , until light golden, then set aside.

    oven

  4. Beat the room-temperature cream cheese with the filling sugar and cornstarch using a spatula or whisk until completely smooth. Mix in the yogurt and vanilla, then add the beaten egg in two or three additions, stirring slowly just until combined. Beating hard adds air, which makes the top crack.

    Add in this stepCream cheese, at room temperature 250 gSugar (for the filling) 60 gCornstarch 6 gGreek yogurt 60 gVanilla extract ½ tspEgg, beaten (about 50 g per egg) 50 g

  5. Lower the oven to 150 °C. Pour the filling over the baked crust, tap the pan on the counter to release bubbles and bake for . It's done when the edges are set and the centre 3 to 4 cm still wobbles like jelly when you nudge the pan.

    oven

  6. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside with the door slightly open for . Cooling slowly keeps the top from cracking. Then let it cool completely, cover and chill for at least 4 hours.

  7. Unmould it and, just before slicing, spoon a little syrup over the top and scatter with the pistachios. Serve the rest of the syrup on the side so everyone can add more.

    Add in this stepPistachios, chopped 15 g

Cook's tip

Cold cream cheese stays lumpy, so take it out an hour ahead. Add the syrup only just before serving so the kataifi crust stays crisp. Without a springform pan, lay a long strip of baking paper across the dish as a sling to lift the cake out.

Cooking it at camp

With an oven and 4 hours of chilling, this one is hard to make at a campsite as written. Bake and chill it at home and bring it in the cooler, or at camp toast the kataifi in butter in a skillet on the stove and scatter it over a no-bake cream of cream cheese, yogurt and sugar for konafa cheesecake cups.