Muhallebili Kadayif Recipe

Ingredients

• Toasted kataifi and walnuts

  250 g raw kataifi pastry

  plain uncooked wheat-based fine shredded pastry; thaw according to pack, not sweetened or pre-toasted

• 70 g unsalted butter

  all melted into the pastry; no extra pan grease

• 30 g granulated sugar

  for the pastry mixture

• 80 g walnuts

  plain shelled edible weight, chopped into small pieces

• Vanilla milk pudding

  800 g whole milk

  pasteurized, approximately 3.25% fat; cold

• 100 g granulated sugar

  all in pudding

• 60 g cornstarch

  white cornstarch, not yellow cornmeal

• 4 g vanilla extract

  stirred in off heat

Directions

1. Shorten and butter the kataifi

   Thaw the raw kataifi according to its pack before starting. Separate all 250 g strands gently, then snip or chop into roughly 1–2 cm lengths. Melt all 70 g unsalted butter gently in a wide pan over low heat; do not brown it. Add the shortened kataifi and turn until the strands are evenly coated. No extra oil or pan grease is used.

2. Toast, add walnuts and divide

   Scatter all 30 g pastry sugar into the pan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring and turning frequently, for about 15–20 minutes until evenly golden and dry-looking; reduce the heat if the sugar or strands catch. Add all 80 g chopped walnuts for the final 2 minutes, stirring. Transfer immediately to a shallow tray to stop cooking. Spread out and cool fully, about 15–20 minutes. Weigh the cooled cooked mixture and divide into two equal halves: one base portion and one topping portion. Keep the topping dry in a clean covered container once cool, away from the pudding.

3. Cook the milk pudding

   Whisk all 100 g pudding sugar with all 60 g white cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in all 800 g cold milk, first a little to make a smooth slurry, then the rest. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously and scraping the bottom and corners, until thick with gentle bubbles breaking through, about 10–15 minutes. Reduce the heat and stir for 1 further minute at a gentle bubble. Do not scorch the milk or stop at a merely warm liquid.

4. Add vanilla and cool promptly

   Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in all 4 g vanilla extract. Scrape the pudding into a clean shallow metal bowl. Stand it in a larger bowl of ice water, keeping the water below the inner bowl rim and entirely outside the food. Stir with a clean spatula until the pudding is no longer warm, about 15–20 minutes. It should remain spreadable. Refrigerate promptly if assembly is delayed; do not leave a deep warm pan cooling on the counter for hours.

5. Build the base and pudding layer, then chill

   Spread the base half of the cooled toasted kataifi-walnut mixture evenly in a clean 20 x 20 cm glass dish at least 5 cm deep. Press lightly with the back of a spoon without crushing it to powder. Spoon all the cooled pudding over the base in small dollops, then gently smooth to the corners. Leave the top plain white: the reserved pastry topping stays separate and dry. Cover and refrigerate at 4°C or below for at least 4 hours until thoroughly chilled and firm enough to portion.

6. Top, cut nine squares and serve

   Just before serving, scatter the reserved half of the toasted kataifi-walnut mixture evenly across the chilled white pudding. Cut 3 columns and 3 rows to make 9 generous squares. Lift portions with a small spatula and serve cold. Share all loose crumbs between the nine portions; do not add extra nuts, pistachio, syrup, whipped cream, fruit or other garnish. Cover and refrigerate leftovers at 4°C or below and use within 2 days as a cautious untested home recommendation; pastry will soften. Limit total unrefrigerated time for the milk dessert to 2 hours, or 1 hour above 32°C.