Ingredients

240ml milk
240ml double cream
1tbsp sugar
1tbsp cornstarch
1tsp orange blossom water
550g ricotta
225g kadaif noodles
100g unsalted butter, melted

Syrup
360g sugar
120ml water
1/4 lemon juice
3/4 tsp of orange blossom

80g plain pistachios, peeled and chopped

 

Method

Combine the milk, cream, sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan and stir over a medium heat until dissolved.

When it begins to boil, stir in the orange blossom and simmer over a low heat for 5 minutes, or until mixture has thickened.  Remove from heat and let cool.

Whizz the kadaif noodles briefly in a food processor with the melted butter until the pieces are separated, avoiding the milk solids that will have settled at the bottom. You can also do this by hand by separating the noodles and then massaging the butter into them.

For the syrup put all the ingredients in saucepan and put on a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture boils. Turn the heat down and simmer over a low heat for 15 minutes, or until the syrup thickens enough to coat the back of your spoon.  Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

When the creamy mixture is cool stir in the ricotta.

Preheat oven to 175C.

Spread half the kadaif strands on a baking dish, covering the bottom with a full layer. Flatten this layer firmly with your hands

Spread all of the ricotta mixture over the noodles and put the remaining noodles on top and press down to make compact.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until top is golden.

Remove the knafeh from the oven and immediately pour most of the cold syrup over it, saving the rest for those with more of a sweet tooth.

Cut into squares and sprinkle pistachios over the top to serve.