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Armenian: Tell Kadayif

Source of Recipe

Laurie Ann Stepanian


List of Ingredients

Syrup:

4 cups sugar
3 cups water
1 teaspoon lemon juice (we used fresh)
2 pounds kataifi, see note
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons sugar
3/4 pound butter, melted




Recipe

Boil water and sugar 10 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice and cool.

Loosen the shreds of kataifi, removing coarse particles. Spread half of the dough in a buttered 10-by-14-inch pan.

Mix nuts, cinnamon and sugar and spread over the kataifi. Top with remaining kadayif. Pour hot melted butter evenly over dough. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour (or until golden brown). Pour 6 cups of the cooled syrup over the hot kadayif with a soup ladle, reserving 1 cup syrup for later. Cover kadayif and let it moisten in its own steam for 1/2 hour. Cut in squares and serve. May be served with whipped cream. Sprinkle with saved syrup.

Note: We found the kataifi dough in the freezer section of the specialty foods store. It comes in a 1-pound box. It's marked kataifi, shredded pastry dough.