Greek Almond and Walnut Kataifi Recipe

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F (175C).
2. Prepare syrup:.
3. Heat the water in a saucepan over low heat. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve.
4. Add the lemon juice, peel, and cloves, and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Stir in the honey, remove from the heat, strain, and set aside to cool.
7. Prepare filling:.
8. In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for the filling and blend well with a wooden spoon.
9. A word about kataïfi dough:.
10. This dough comes commercially packaged in a long strip, about 3 inches wide. To prepare it for this recipe, lay the long strip out on a clean work surface and divide it into 18-24 pieces, gently spreading the strands out a bit if they clump together. Each piece will be used to create an individual kataïfi roll. Keep unused dough covered with a piece of waxed paper and a damp towel on top of that to keep it from drying out.
11. Brush a strip with melted butter.
12. Place a tablespoon of the filling at one end of the strip and roll up into a cylinder, tucking in any stray pieces of dough. Take care to roll the pastry tightly so that the filling is securely enclosed.
13. Place the rolls seam side down in a lightly buttered baking dish, close together but not squashed, and brush well with butter. Bake for 45-60 minutes, until golden brown and crispy looking.
14. Remove from oven, pour cool syrup over the pastry and cover with a clean towel. Let cool about 3-4 hours as it absorbs the syrup.
15. Enjoy!