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4.84 from 6 votes

Kadayif (Kadaif) Recipe

Buttery shredded Phyllo dough, filled with a pistachio filling and drenched in a rosewater syrup.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Greek, Middle Eastern
Servings: 24 pieces
Calories: 357kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 1 lb. Kadaifi pastry dough (shredded fillo dough)
  • 1 cup unsalted butter clarified

Syrup

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup honey
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon rose flower water (orange blossom water)

Filling

  • cup pistachios (chopped finely)
  • teaspoon cardamom powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

Instructions

  • Defrost Kadaifi (shredded filo dough) according to package instructions. Keep in mind you will need to defrost frozen dough in the fridge overnight before you can use it.

Syrup

  • Add water, sugar, and honey to a saucepan and cook over medium heat, while stirring, until the sugar is dissolved.
  • Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Skim off the foam that comes to the surface. Mix in lemon juice and rose or orange blossom water and boil for a few additional minutes. Set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350° F

    Clarify Butter

    • Melt butter in the microwave or over very low heat. Clarify the butter by skimming the white foamy surface off then pour it into a measuring cup, leaving behind the milky residue on the bottom. 

    Prepare the Filling

    • Coarsely chop the pistachios in a food processor, or place them in a ziplock bag and pound until broken up. Mix cardamom and cinnamon with the chopped pistachios.

    Assemble & Bake

    • Butter a 9" x 13" baking pan and set aside until needed. Add Fillo Dough to a large bowl and break it up with your hands. Arrange half of the dough into the buttered pan.
    • Pour ½ of the melted butter over the shredded Fillo dough and work in with your hands or a pastry brush, making sure all the strands are covered with butter. Press down firmly with your hands to compact the dough.
    • Distribute the entire pistachio mixture evenly over the dough. Add the remaining shredded Fillo Dough over the nuts and pour the other ½ cup of clarified butter evenly over the dough.
    • Bake in the oven for 60 minutes, or until the Fillo Dough is golden brown.
    • Remove the pan from the oven and slowly pour the syrup all over the pan, making sure to cover every inch. Slice into squares.
    • Allow the Kadayif to come to room temperature before serving. If you have that much self-control, congratulations!

    Video

    Notes

    • Keep in mind you will need to defrost frozen Fillo Dough in the fridge overnight before you can use it.
    • Most people use either simple syrup or honey to make Kadayif. I prefer a combination of the two, although if I had to suggest just one to use, it would be a simple syrup.
    • When pouring syrup over Kadayif, you want the syrup to be cool when you pour it over the hot pastry. The other option is to cook the pastry first and allow it to cool, then add hot syrup over it. This helps the syrup to get absorbed better.
    • If you prefer, you can cut the Kadayif prior to pouring the syrup all over it.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1piece | Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 57mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 16g