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KATAIFI B'ASHTA
CUSTARD FILLING:
4 c Milk 3/4 c Cornflour 4 Eggs; beaten 1 pn Salt 1/2 c Sugar 1 ts Vanilla essence 1/4 ts Rose essence
KATAIFI CRUST:
500 g Kataifi (shredded pastry) 3/4 c Unsalted butter;
SYRUP:
2 c Sugar 1 1/2 c Water 1 Thin strip lemon rind 1 Piece of cinnamon bark 3 ts Lemon juice
Oven temperature: 190 C (375 F) Cooking time: 1 hour Combine milk and cornflour in a heavy pan. Blend in beaten eggs and add salt and sugar. Place over medium heat and stir constantly until thickened and bubbling. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and rose essence and cover top of custard with buttered paper to prevent a skin forming. Place kataifi in a large bowl and gently separate strands with fingers. Grease a 20 x 28 cm (8 x 11 inch) oven dish with some of the butter. Put half the kataifi in the base, pressing it down to make it compact. Drizzle 1/4 cup butterr evenly over it. Pour custard filling over kataifi, spreading it evenly. Top with remaining kataifi. Spread evenly and pat down gently. Pour remaining melted butter evenly over top. Bake in a moderately hot oven for 45 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and leave until cool. Dissolve sugar in water over medium heat, add lemon rind and cinnamon bark and bring to the boil. Add lemon juice and boil over medium heat for 15 minutes, skimming when necessary. Do not stir once syrup is boiling. Strain hot syrup over cooled pastry. Leave until cold and cut into diamond shapes to serve. Note: The previous recipe is the traditional way in which this dessert is made. As the custard and syrup soften the kataifi, many good cooks use the following method for a crisp finish: Prepare the syrup as directed above and leave until cool. Place the kataifi in a bowl and loosen stands. Pour on 1/2 cup melted, unsalted butter and mix with fingers to coat strands. Spread kataifi in two buttered 20 x 28 cm (8 x 11 inch) straight-sided oven dishes and press down to make it compact. Bake in a moderately hot oven for 20-25 minutes until golden - take care that it does not become too brown. Remove from the oven and pour cooled syrup evenly over hot kataifi in each dish. Cover each dish with a tea towel so that kataifi softens slightly, otherwise it will be difficult to cut. Make custard as directed in previous recipe and pour while hot onto kataifi in one dish. Invert other dish of kataifi on top of the custard. Leave uncovered until cool, then cut into diamond shapes to serve. --------------------------------------- Konafa Ashta:
Shell:
1 pound Shredded Fillo Dough pastry 2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
Cream Filling:
4 tablespoons cream of rice (or finely ground rice) 2 tablespoons sugar 1/2 cups milk 2 cups milk 1/2 cup heavy cream
Syrup:
1 1/4 cups sugar 1/2 cup water 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon rose water, or orange blossom
Prepare the cream filling by mixing the cream of rice, sugar and 1/2 cup milk to form a smooth paste.
Bring the 2 cups milk to a boil, then add the rice paste to the boiling milk slowly with continuous stirring.
Let simmer with continuous stirring until very thick. Ensure that it does not lump or stick to the bottom of the pan.
Allow the milk mixture to cool, then add the heavy cream. Mix well.
Prepare the syrup by stirring the sugar, water and lemon juice over medium heat until thick to the point that it coats the metal spoon.
Add rose water and cook with stirring for a few more minutes until well mixed.
Remove from heat and cool slightly in the refrigerator.
To prepare the Konafa, pull out and separate half Konafa pastry strands.
Pour half of the melted butter over the konafa pastry. Work the pastry to ensure that each strand is coated with the butter.
Spread the pastry on the bottom of a 9x9x2 inches oven dish.
Pour cream filling on the pastry.
Cover the cream filling with the rest of the pastry strands using the same method described above.
Bake in an oven at 350 for about 10-15 minutes, or until slightly golden in color.
Remove from the oven and immediately pour the cold syrup over the hot Konafa.
Serve hot or cold,
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