Atayef are delicious Arabic pancakes filled with various fillings such as Ashta, nuts, or cheese. Ashta is a rich, creamy filling commonly used in Middle Eastern desserts. Here’s a recipe for Atayef filled with Ashta..
Atayef
Heavenly Middle Eastern pancakes filled with creamy Ashta and cheese.
Ingredients
- For Blended Pancake Mix:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups fine semolina
- 4 cups warm water
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon instant or active dry yeast
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Mozzarella cheese or nuts such as chopped pistachios or almonds, as desired
- For Ashta Filling:
- 1 liter 4 cups heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon orange blossom water or rose water optional
- For Sugar Syrup:
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Chopped pistachios for garnish
Instructions
Pancake Mix:
- In a blender, combine the all-purpose flour, fine semolina, baking powder, baking soda, yeast, salt, warm water, and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the blended pancake mix into a bowl and allow the batter to rise in a warm place for at least 30 mins.
Making Ashta Filling:
- In a large saucepan, pour in the heavy whipping cream and heat it over medium heat.
- Whisk the cream continuously for 15-20 minutes until it thickens and reaches a custard-like consistency.
- In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in milk.
- Slowly pour the cornstarch mixture into the thickened cream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming.
- Continue to whisk the mixture for an additional 3-4 minutes until it thickens further.
- If using, stir in the orange blossom water or rose water.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and transfer the ashta filling to a bowl.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, ensuring that the wrap touches the surface of the ashta to prevent a skin from forming.
- Refrigerate the ashta to chill and set.
Cooking Pancakes:
- Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat.
- Pour a small amount of the blended pancake mix onto the skillet to form small pancakes.
- While cooking, only cook the pancakes on one side. Do not flip them.
- Cook the pancakes until bubbles form on the surface and the edges are set and the edges are slightly golden,
- To prevent the pancakes from drying out, cover them with a clean cloth or kitchen towel after they cook.
Filling and Freezing Atayef:
- Spoon a dollop of chilled ashta filling onto the center of each pancake.
- and add a little shredded mozzarella cheese (optional )
- Fold the pancake in half to form a half-moon shape, pressing the edges together gently to seal.
- Place the filled atayef on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze for at least an hour to prevent the cheese from oozing out during frying.
Making Sugar Syrup:
- In a saucepan, combine the granulated sugar, water, and lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Once the sugar has completely dissolved and the syrup has slightly thickened, remove it from the heat and let it cool.
Frying Atayef:
- Heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer or a heavy-bottomed pot to 350°F (175°C).
- Carefully fry the frozen filled atayef in batches until they are golden brown and crispy, about 2-3 minutes per side.
- Remove the fried atayef from the oil and drain them on paper towels to remove excess oil.
Serving:
- Dip the fried atayef into the cold sugar syrup briefly (ensure the sugar syrup is cold as this allows the pancakes to retain their crisp, then remove them and let any excess syrup drip off.
- Arrange the soaked atayef on a serving platter and garnish with chopped pistachios.
- Serve the crispy atayef immediately and enjoy
