My sweet and rich cheese-filled kunafa recipe

• Preheat the oven to 200°C and prepare a 24 cm (9 inch) round baking tray by greasing it with some of the ghee
• Make the syrup by boiling the water, sugar and vanilla sugar in a medium-deep saucepan, stirring occasionally. Add the lemon juice and orange blossom/rose water and lower the heat. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the liquid thickens and reduces. Take off the heat and leave to cool
• Pull the kunafa dough apart strand-by-strand and finely shred until the strands are 2 cm (1 inch) long. Place in a bowl
• Pour the melted ghee over the strands and mix until they are completely covered in ghee
• Place two-thirds of the shredded dough on the prepared baking tray, completely covering the base and 1 cm (0.5 inches) up the sides. Use the palms of your hands to make sure the dough is tightly compressed in the tray
• Spread the mozzarella evenly on top of the base, keeping the cheese 1 cm (0.5 inches) away from the edges
• Gently cover with the rest of the kunafa dough. Make sure the kunafa is sealed tight – you don’t want the cheese oozing out!
• Place in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until it’s deep golden brown
• Take the kunafa out of the oven and pour the syrup all over

Serve right away! I recommend eating the kunafa as soon as possible; it doesn’t taste quite the same if you reheat it or store it in the fridge for another time.

Making cheese-filled kunafa: my top tips

• While this kunafa tastes best eaten the same day, you can prepare it in advance, freeze it, and bake it when you’re ready to serve
• Ghee is best for this recipe as the nutty richness complements the sweetness of the dish. If you don’t have ghee, substitute it with the same amount of unsalted butter
• This dessert is super decadent, but if you want to take it to the next level, top it with crushed pistachios and rose petals after baking – a dessert fit for a queen!