Knafeh with Ashta Filling

Position the middle rack in the oven and preheat to 180 degrees Celsius. Prepare an 11-inch round baking dish and grease it with ghee.

In a food processor with the steel blade attached, grind the knafeh in batches until shredded. Place it in a bowl.

Add the ghee, oil, and ground mastic, and mix well until the knafeh absorbs the fat.

Place about two-thirds of the knafeh mixture in the dish, spread it evenly, and raise the edges about 1 centimeter.

For the Ashta: In a saucepan, combine milk, flour, and starch, stir to dissolve. Heat over medium heat until thickened. Add coconut and rose water, then spread over the knafeh.

Sprinkle the remaining knafeh over the Ashta, pressing lightly to distribute and cover the Ashta well.

Place the knafeh in the oven for 20 minutes until the bottom browns well. Then place under the broiler for about 10 minutes to brown well.

Remove from the oven and immediately pour the hot syrup over it. Let the knafeh cool for about an hour before cutting.

Flip the knafeh onto a serving plate and garnish with nuts as desired.

For the syrup: In a saucepan, combine hot water, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla, and let it boil gently for 8 minutes.