ISRAELI CHEESECAKE WITH SHREDDED FILO

In Tel Aviv’s Carmel Market you’ll see stalls with giant pans of knafeh – an Arabic dessert with a creamy middle and a crunchy shredded filo top and bottom. You can find knafeh dough in the freezers of Middle Eastern grocery shops. If you can’t get hold of it, you can use crushed cornflakes instead.

Serves 10

450g (1lb) knafeh dough (or use 300g/10½oz crushed cornflakes)

200g (7oz) butter, melted 400g (14oz) mozzarella, coarsely grated 400g (14oz) ricotta

1tsp rose water

100g (3½oz) pistachios, crushed

For the syrup

450g (1lb) caster sugar ½tsp lemon juice

½tsp rose water 250ml (9fl oz) water

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Break the knafeh dough up in a food processor, until the strands are no longer than grains of rice. Tip into a bowl, then pour the melted butter over and massage it into the dough with your hands, coating every strand. Press half the pastry into the bottom of a 23cm ovenproof dish – use your palms and fists to really push it down so it reaches the edges.

In a bowl mix the mozzarella with the ricotta and the rose water, and spread this over the knafeh in an even layer. Spread the remaining knafeh on top and press it down gently. Bake for about 1 hour, or until golden brown and crunchy on top.

Meanwhile, make the syrup. Combine the sugar, lemon juice, the ½tsp of rose water and the water in a small pan. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Simmer over a low heat for 10 minutes, until the glossy syrup coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat, allow to cool and chill in the fridge.

When you take the knafeh out of the oven, immediately pour the cold syrup over it and sprinkle the pistachios on top. Knafeh is usually served warm, but I also love eating it cold too, served with mint tea like a baklava.