Greek cuisine · Desserts & Sweets

Kadaifi Rolo me Krema

Kataifi rolls wrapped around a firm semolina cream, baked crisp and soaked with cold lemon syrup.

Ingredients · for 8 servings

• 500 g kataifi dough
• 200 g butter
• 700 ml whole milk
• 100 g durum semolina
• 120 g sugar for the cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 vanilla pod
• 350 g sugar for the syrup
• 400 ml water
• 1 organic lemon
• 100 g pistachios

Instructions

1. For the cream, bring the milk to a boil with the scraped-out vanilla seeds, sprinkle in the semolina with 120 g sugar and cook while stirring for 5 min. into a very thick paste; off the heat, stir in the whisked eggs and chill the cream for 2 hrs.
2. Boil 350 g sugar with the water and the peeled lemon zest uncovered for 8 min., add the lemon juice and let the syrup cool completely – it must hit the hot pastry cold.
3. Divide the kataifi dough into 16 equally wide strips, loosen each strip gently apart and lay flat on the work surface.
4. With damp hands, shape finger-thick rolls from the firm cream, place one at the short end of each dough strip and roll up tightly into a little roll.
5. Place the rolls seam-side down tightly in a buttered dish, pour the melted butter over them and bake in a 175°C preheated oven for 40–45 min., until deep golden brown and crisp.
6. Pour the cold syrup immediately over the hot pastry, sprinkle with chopped pistachios and let sit for at least 2 hrs. before serving the rolls lukewarm.