With nonfungible tokens (NFT) trending globally, the mouth-watering famous Turkish dessert künefe has been converted into an NFT project by the Turkish dessert brand Beyzade Künefe following a wave of inspiration from retro games such as Alien Invasion, Space Invaders, Pac-Man, Battle City, Tetris and Super Mario.
Originated in the southeastern part of Turkey, especially in the city of Hatay, künefe is a crispy, cheesy, pistachio-filled dessert that is preferred typically after dinner.
The brand aims to keep up with global trends and strives to benefit from using NFTs as a new point of contact with potential customers. It also plans to convert other products such as baklava and pistachios into NFTs.
“We are proud to present 10 different digital assets that we have created for users on the OpenSea platform, the world’s largest NFT marketplace. We plan to donate five of our NFTs to the followers as gifts,” explained the co-owner of the brand.
‘Next destination metaverse’
The NFT project is led by the Volantis Digital Agency, which has expressed pride in the opportunity to launch the forward-thinking venture in Turkey. The agency reported that the project will attract the interest of not only of Beyzade Künefe customers but also the those interested in investing in NFTs.
Ingredients
Syrup:
- 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) freshly squeezed lemon juice
For greasing the pan:
- 4 tablespoons (60 grams) unsalted butter softened at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) grape molasses
Pastry:
- 1 pound (454 grams) Kadayıf (kadaifi/kataifi), shredded phyllo
- 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter melted
- 10 ounces (283 grams) unsalted and stringy Turkish cheese or Mozzarella
Garnish:
- Finely ground pistachios for topping
Instructions
To make the syrup:
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In a medium pot, bring the sugar and water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is starting to thicken slightly, about 10 minutes.
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Stir in the lemon juice and simmer for another 1-2 minutes to blend the flavors.
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Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
To grease the pans:
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In a small bowl, mix together the softened butter and grape molasses.
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Generously grease 4-6 individual or one large stove-safe pans with half the butter (they will be greased again before flipping the pastries).
To arrange the pastry:
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Roughly chop the Kadayıf into 1 inch (2.5 centimeter) pieces and place in a large bowl.
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Pour the melted butter over the chopped Kadayıf and toss to thoroughly coat.
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Press a layer of the coated Kadayıf across the bottom and sides of the prepared pans.
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Cover each layer of pastry with a layer of the cheese, leaving about a 1/2 inch (1.25 centimeter) border around the edges.
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Cover the cheese with another layer of the Kadayif. Press down to completely enclose the layer of cheese, especially around the sides.
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Place the pan over medium low heat. Cook until the bottom is golden, adjusting the heat between medium and low as needed, for about 6 minutes.
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Carefully flip the pastry onto a plate.
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Grease the pan again with the grape molasses butter mixture and place the pastry back into the pan, golden side up.
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Place the pan back over medium low heat and cook until golden on the bottom, another 4-5 minutes.
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Remove the pan from heat and immediately pour the desired amount of cooled syrup over the pastry to soak.
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Serve the Künefe hot while the cheese is still melted and stretchy.