Knafeh Nabulseyeh

Knafeh is a national institution, made and served all over the Middle East, and no celebration is complete without it. It’s particularly associated with Nablus, where the shredded filo pastry is filled with the city’s trademark firm, white, salty Nabulsi cheese. A filling of just nuts and cinnamon is called knafeh Arabiyeh – Arabic knafeh. Nabulsi cheese is not widely available, though, so we’ve used a combination of firm mozzarella and ricotta.

Getting ahead: These are best