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Aunt Hazel's Kitchen

Homemade Künefe.

Hatay's famous dessert — crispy shredded wheat filled with unsalted cheese, soaked in syrup and served warm.

Time
40 min
Serves
4 servings
Season
All Year
Difficulty
Hard

The Story

The crown jewel of Hatay cuisine, künefe is beloved across Turkey — but its most authentic version is found in Hatay itself, where it's made pan by pan over open flames.

The moment pistachio meets warm künefe is when magic happens.

Instructions

8 Steps

  1. Make the syrup: bring sugar and water to a boil, add lemon juice, simmer 10 minutes and cool.

  2. Loosen the shredded wheat and coat thoroughly with melted butter.

  3. Grease a small non-stick pan and press half the wheat into the base.

  4. Spread the cheese evenly over it.

  5. Top with remaining wheat and press down firmly.

  6. Cook over medium heat until the base is golden.

  7. Flip onto a plate, slide back into the pan and cook the other side until golden.

  8. Pour cold syrup over the hot künefe, garnish with pistachios and serve immediately.

Hazel's Note

Always pair hot künefe with cold syrup (or vice versa) — same-temperature combinations make it soggy.

Desserts · All Year · Hard · künefe · tatlı · hatay · kadayıf · peynirli tatlı

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