The Day Before

The Simple Syrup

• Place the water and sugar in a saucepan and let it come to boil.
  250 ml water, 300 g white sugar
• Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes to thicken.
• Take off heat and place on cool hob, then add the lemon juice and rose water and stir.
  1 tsp fresh lemon juice, 2 Tbsp rose water
• Cool to room temperature, then place in the fridge until the next day.

Mozzarella

• Cut into slices and soak in plenty of cool water in a large bowl. Place in the fridge overnight and change the water at least a handful of times in that period.
  300 g mozzarella, room temperature water for soaking the mozzarella
• The water will get cloudy, don't worry.

Baking Day

• Preheat the oven to 190˚C (375˚F / 170°C Fan).

Knafe

• Place in a food processor and pulse a few times until the Kataifi pastry is all shredded. You might have to do this in 2 go's.
  300 g Kataifi pastry
  
• Place the now shredded pastry in a large bowl and pour most of the melted butter in, leaving some behind.
  350 g salted butter
  
• Using your fingers, mix it all in thoroughly, coating every strand of pastry with the butter.
  
• Add the rest of the butter if needed, mix thoroughly again and set aside as you get to work on your cheese.
• Clean the food processor with kitchen paper and place the drained mozzarella in.
• Blitz the mozzarella until it's all diced up and resembles cottage cheese, ie, tiny lumps.
• Transfer the mozzarella into a roomy bowl and add the mascarpone in.
  250 g ashta (click for homemade recipe)
• Using a wooden spoon beat the two cheeses together until thoroughly combined. This may take a couple of minutes.

Assembly time

• Place half the butter soaked pastry into the bottom of your chosen pan and pat down firmly.
• Top with all of the cheese mixture.
  
• Top the cheese with the second layer of pastry and pat down firmly but gently, as you don't want the cheese getting displaced.
  
• Bake in the oven, on the middle shelf, for 35-40 minutes until the pastry is a lovely golden shade.
  
• Leave to cool for 5 minutes, then using a butter knife or something similar, run it through the sides of the knafe to release any pastry and cheese that's sticking to the dish.
• Take your serving plate, place over the baking dish and using your oven gloves or thick tea towel, flip the knafe over onto the serving plate.
• Pour the cold syrup all over the knafe until it's saturated with the syrup and glistening, leaving the rest for serving.
  250 ml rose scented simple syrup
• Leave to cool for another 10 minutes, then using a very sharp knife, cut it into little squares (easier than diamond!) by cutting through the pastry with the pointy end of your knife first.
• Serve with the leftover syrup in a little jug for those who fancy life extra sweet!
• Garnish with the pistachios and petals before or after cutting, completely up to you.
  3 Tbsp coarsely ground pistachios, 1-2 Tbsp dried edible rose petals