CHEESE-FILLED BIRDS' NESTS

Cheese-Filled Birds' Nests image

Yield Makes 36 pastries

Number Of Ingredients 16

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For syrup:
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup honey
2 (4-inch) strips fresh orange zest
2/3 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
For filling:
2 cups whole-milk ricotta
3/4 cup finely shredded mozzarella
3 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh orange zest
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1-pound package kataifi (shredded phyllo dough), thawed if frozen
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

Steps:

Make syrup:
Bring water, sugar, honey, zest, and juices to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then simmer until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Cool syrup.
Make filling:
Stir together cheeses, honey, zest, and cinnamon.
Assemble and bake nests:
Preheat oven to 350°F and butter 2 shallow baking pans (about 1 inch deep).
Gently pull apart strands of kataifi in a large bowl to loosen, then toss with all of butter. Pack a 1/3-cup measuring cup with strands and invert into a baking pan to form a mound. Make 36 more mounds (18 in each pan) in same manner.
With your finger, make a 1-inch-deep depression in top of each mound to form a nest. Spoon filling into holes, then sprinkle pine nuts over filling.
Bake birds' nests in upper and lower thirds of oven, rotating pans halfway through baking for even browning, until nests are pale golden, about 35 minutes. Discard zest and drizzle all of syrup over nests (syrup will gradually be absorbed). Cool birds' nests in pans on a rack.