Kataifi sundae cups

Make the syrup: three cups sugar, three cups water and the juice of half to one lemon; bring to a boil on the stove top until the sugar has dissolved.

Off the heat, stir in two teaspoons of vanilla extract; set aside to cool completely.

Thaw frozen kadaifi in the refrigerator overnight, or on the counter an hour or two, or a few seconds in the microwave; unwrap only just before using so it does not dry out.

Separate the strands by hand into a 9 by 13 inch baking pan; pour over half a pound of melted unsalted butter and toss to coat.

Bake on the center rack at 350F about 35 minutes, until golden and crispy on top.

As soon as it comes out, pour the cooled syrup over the top and sprinkle with ground cinnamon.

Let the kadaifi absorb the syrup and cool, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Fill trifle cups with kadaifi, add a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream and garnish with ground pistachios.

Variation: make the kadaifi days ahead and refrigerate; serve it slightly warm, not hot, so the ice cream melts into a sauce; top with sour cherry preserves if liked.