Kadayif (kadaif, kataifi) refers to shredded phyllo dough used to make a number of popular Middle Eastern desserts. Several varieties exist, including tel kadayıf, yassı kadayıf and ekmek kadayıf. This recipe by the late Susan Jebejian is filled with a rich cream and sweetened with simple syrup. The recipe is featured in Reflections of an Armenian Kitchen, a Special Collection of Favorite Recipes originally printed in 1995 by the Ladies Guilds of Ararat Home in Los Angeles. In the cookbook’s 8th edition from 2016, all recipes remain as they appeared in the previous printings from 1995 to 2008.
Susan was born in Istanbul and immigrated with her family to the United States in 1921. She grew up in Detroit and moved to Los Angeles in 1936. She and her beloved husband, Dick, were instrumental in the planning and building of the Ararat Home for the Armenian elderly in Los Angeles. She served as president and treasurer of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Home. She took great pride in the Home and the contributions of service and dedication the Jebejian family made to it. Susan, who passed away in 2011, was an active member of the St. James Armenian Apostolic Church in Los Angeles. She loved to cook and entertain, and was eager to volunteer her talents to the Ladies Guilds kitchen crew.
Kadayıf comes from the plural of the Arabic word “qatifah,” the plural for velvet. The same ingredient is called “kunafa” in Arabic, which refers to another dessert similar to kadayıf but stuffed with cheese. The name first appeared in an Ottoman translation of the Arabic cookbook Kitab al-Tabikh translated by Muhammed bin Mahmud Şirvani, a 15th century Ottoman physician. According to oral tradition in Diyarbakır, formerly Diyarbekir, the first kadayıf vendor in the city was an Armenian shop owner named Agop. (See Notes). A version filled with walnuts or pistachios flavored with cinnamon was traditionally served by the Sephardic Jewish community of Jerusalem during Rosh Hashanah and Purim.
Ingredients:
2 lbs. kadayif dough, completely thawed out and at room temperature (It is usually found in Middle Eastern stores and markets. Thaw properly before using. Place the box in the refrigerator the night before you will use it.)
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, melted
