Traditional Kadaif with Walnuts and Syrup — Oriental Dessert with Thin Pastry Threads

Kadaif is one of the most beloved desserts of oriental cuisine, also widespread across the Balkans and Albania. Thin thread-like sheets, baked in butter until golden, are filled with crushed walnuts and soaked in cold syrup — the crispy-sweet combination that gives the table a festive flavor.

INGREDIENTS

• 500 g kadaif pastry (thin thread-like sheets)
• 200 g walnuts, coarsely crushed
• 150 g butter, melted
• For the syrup: 400 g sugar, 400 ml water, juice of half a lemon, 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
• For decoration: crushed pistachios or crushed walnuts (optional)

PREPARATION STEPS

1. Prepare the syrup: put the water and sugar on the heat and boil for about 10 minutes after it comes to a boil. Add the lemon juice (and the cinnamon stick if using) and let it cool completely — the syrup must be cold when poured over the hot dessert.
2. Heat the oven to 180°C. Grease a medium baking tray with a little butter.
3. Fluff the kadaif pastry with your hands to aerate it, sprinkle with the melted butter and mix lightly so it is evenly coated.
4. Spread half the pastry in the tray and press lightly with your palm. Distribute the crushed walnuts evenly, then cover with the remaining pastry and press lightly again.
5. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the surface turns a beautiful golden color.
6. As soon as you take it out of the oven, immediately and evenly pour the cold syrup over the hot kadaif. You’ll hear a sizzle — that’s a good sign.
7. Let it rest for at least 1 hour to absorb the syrup, then cut into squares or diamonds and decorate with crushed pistachios.

Prep time: about 25 minutes | Baking time: 35–40 minutes | Servings: 8–10.