Strawberry-cheesecake kataifi cups are the no-bake dessert of the summer
Amina Al-Saigh’s crunchy, creamy recipe is packed with pistachio butter and ripe fresh fruit
These no-bake strawberry-cheesecake kataifi cups are the perfect dessert for hot summer days when local berries are at their peak. Kataifi — pastry made of thin strands of dough — is toasted until crisp and golden, mixed with luscious pistachio butter and layered with mascarpone and sweet, juicy strawberries. Finished with a sprinkle of chopped pistachios, each cup is a heavenly mix of textures and flavours — no oven required.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter
- 200 g kataifi (or shredded phyllo pastry), cut into ¼-inch lengths
- 300 g sweetened pistachio cream
- 450 g mascarpone (or cream cheese)
- ½ cup condensed milk, or more to taste
- 454 g strawberries, washed, hulled and quartered
- Juice of 1 large lemon
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest
- ¼ cup chopped shelled pistachios, to garnish
Preparation
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add kataifi and cook, stirring continuously, until golden and evenly toasted, around 10 to 15 minutes.
If pistachio cream is too thick to handle, microwave in a small bowl for 20 to 30 seconds to loosen. Add it to the kataifi and mix until well-combined.
Microwave mascarpone in a medium bowl until just softened, around 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add condensed milk and whisk to combine.
Spoon the mixture into a small resealable plastic bag, seal it tightly and cut one of the bottom corners to make a ½-inch opening for piping.
In a small bowl, toss the strawberries with the lemon juice and zest.
Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the kataifi-pistachio cream mixture to the bottom of six 8-ounce glasses and use the back of a spoon to gently press it into an even layer. Pipe the cheesecake mixture on top of the kataifi until just covered and smooth with the back of a spoon. Place 1 heaping tablespoon of strawberries on top of the cheesecake layer, then repeat the process again to create six layers in each cup.
Garnish with chopped pistachios and serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Serves 6
Produced in collaboration with CBC Creator Network.
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