Kataifi Nests

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

For the Nest:

• 1 packet Kataifi pastry
• 180g butter, melted
• 1 cup (120g) pistachios finely chopped
• 1 cup (140g) almonds finely chopped
• 1/2 cup (100g) sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 lemon zest
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• 200g melted butter
  
  

For the Syrup:

• 250g honey
• 500ml water
• 200g caster sugar
• zest of 1 lemon
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 cinnamon sticks
  
  

Method

For the Nest

Grease a rectangular baking tin. Pulse the nuts in a food processor. Reserve 2 teaspoons of the pistachios for garnishing. In a bowl, combine together pistachios, almonds, sugar, cinnamon and egg white and mix well. Lay the kataifi pastry on your work surface and cover with a damp towel. Pull a small amount of pastry enough to roll into a ball and brush with melted butter and place a heaped tablespoon of the filling at one end of it. Roll it up firmly. Place all the rolls seam side down into the prepared baking tin and repeat until all the pastry and filling is used.  Brush well with the remaining butter. Bake for 45-50 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool. 

For the Syrup

To make the syrup add all the syrup ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes. Pour the syrup over the rolls. Pour hot syrup over the cooled rolls and allow the pastry to absorb the syrup. Sprinkle with reserved pistachios and serve with Turkish coffee.