Cheese Or Walnut Filled Crepes Atayef Food

CHEESE- OR WALNUT-FILLED CREPES (ATAYEF)

Steps:

• To prepare the walnut filling, mix the walnuts, sugar, zest, cinnamon and orange blossom water. Set aside. To prepare the cheese filling, I start the process the night before. Desalt the akkawi cheese by slicing thin and immersing in cold water, leaving it to soak. Drain and change the water again after 1 hour, repeating five or six more times to get rid of all the salt. Taste the cheese before using it to ensure no saltiness remains. Mix the 2 cheeses, sugar and rosewater and set aside in a colander to drain any excess water.
• Put the flour into a large bowl. Mix in the salt, sugar and yeast. Pour in the water gradually and beat vigorously with a whisk.
• Beat in the baking soda. The batter should be creamy and pourable. Cover and leave aside to rise for 1 hour. Spread a clean lint-free tea towel on a cookie sheet and set aside. Heat a nonstick heavy-bottomed frying pan. Whisk the batter a little before ladling 1/4 cup in the pan to make 4-inch disks. Cook only on one side. Bubbles will start to form; they are ready when there are no more shiny wet spots on the top (about 1-2 minutes). Place each atayef, browned side down, on the tea towel to cool completely.
• Take one atayef and cup it in your hand. Fill it with either one of the fillings. Bring the edges together to form a crescent, pinching around the edges with a little firmness to keep the filling enclosed. Fill the remaining and set aside while you prepare your "workstation." Pour 2 cups of rose syrup in a deep bowl. Line a plate with paper towels. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan to 350°F on the thermometer. Deep-fry the filled atayef no more than four at a time until golden brown on both sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on the paper towels. While hot, slide a couple at a time into the cool syrup for 1 minute to absorb. Remove with another slotted spoon. Serve hot, garnished with pistachios.

CHEESE BLINTZES (CHEESE FILLED CREPES)

Steps:

• TO MAKE THE CREPES:.
• Lightly beat the eggs in a bowl.
• Add the cooled melted butter, flour, salt, and milk. Stir until smooth. Add the baking powder, and continue stirring.
• Melt a teaspoon of butter in a 5-6in cast iron skillet or nonstick pan.
• When the butter is hot, add 2 tablespoons of the batter and immediately rotate the pan to spread the batter evenly and thinly over the bottom (pour any excess into the bowl).
• Cook for about 30 seconds on the first side.
• If you are able to flip the pancake over to its other side without using a utensil, do so. Otherwise, slide the pancake onto a small plate, and flip it back into the pan.
• Note: this is the perfect time to learn to flip, since the pancake has barely any weight!
• Cook for about 15 second on its second side.
• Remove the pancake to a cookie sheet or other surface or flat plate.
• Repeat with the additional butter and remaining batter. The cooked pancakes will keep for several hours at room temperature. This amount of batter will yield 12 pancakes.
• TO MAKE THE FILLING:.
• Combine the farmer cheese, cream cheese, egg, lemon peel, and a pinch of salt.
• Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth; press the filling through a sieve if it is lumpy.
• TO MAKE THE BLINTZES:.
• Put about 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center of each pancake. Roll sides and fold in the ends so the filling is completely enclosed.
• You can freeze them now, or after they've been fried.
• Heat butter in a large skillet and fry each blintz for about 4 minutes, turning to brown all sides.
• Serve immediately with sour cream (I like it with sour cream and jam).

UKRAINIAN CHEESE FILLED NALYSNYKY WITH VARIATIONS (CREPES)

Steps:

• TO MAKE THE NALYSNYKY: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolk, milk, sugar, and salt. Gradually add the flour, continuing to whisk until the batter is smooth. (This can be done in a food processor.) Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, then stir the club soda into the batter.
• Heat a crepe pan or a 7-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. When it's very hot, brush the skillet with about 1/2 teaspoon of the clarified butter.
• Remove the pan from heat. Measure out about 2 1/2 Tablespoons of the batter and quickly pour it into the pan. Quickly rotate and tilt the pan until the batter covers the bottom completely. Fry one side until golden, about 1 minute. Turn, and fry on the other side for 10 seconds more. It should be paler than the first side. Remove and set aside. Repeat with the rest of the batter.
• Place a crepe on a cutting board, well-browned side up, and place 2 heaping tablespoons of the filling in a row slightly below center. Fold the closest end up over the filling, then fold both sides in toward the center and roll up as you would an egg roll. Repeat with the remaining crepes.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add as many crepes as fit comfortably and fry on both sides until golden, about 5 minutes.
• Repeat with the rest of the crepes, keeping the cooked ones warm in the oven. Sprinkle the nalysnyky with a sweet filling with confectioners' sugar before serving. Makes about 18.
• FOR THE SWEET FARMER'S CHEESE FILLING:.
• Process the farmer's cheese, sugar, and sour cream in a food processor, until smooth.
• Transfer to a bowl, add the raisins, if desired, and mix well. Filling enough for 18.
• FOR THE APPLE FILLING:.
• Melt 2 Tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add as many apples as fit comfortably, and sauté, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 15 minutes. Repeat with the rest of the apples, adding more butter as needed.
• Return the apples to the skillet, stir in the brown sugar and brandy and cook, stirring, over high heat, until the brandy reduces by half, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer the apples to a bowl and add cinnamon, if desired. Let the filling cool to lukewarm before filling the nalysnyky. Enough filling to fill 18.
• FOR THE MEAT FILLING:.
• Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply browned, about 15 minutes.
• In a large bowl, mix the onion thoroughly with the remaining ingredients. Makes enough to fill 18.
• NOTE:.
• The meat can be made either from beef, chicken, or turkey. They are served hot, accompanied by sour cream.
• For the cheese filling add 1 cup of well drained canned sour cherries to this classic filling instead of raisins. Sprinkle with confections' sugar and with sour cream on the side.
• For the apple filling pass a bowl of crème fraiche to dollop on. Don't feel confined to using only apples. Substitute apricots, peaches or a favorite berry.
• NOTE: Pot cheese is a medium dry cottage cheese, also known as pressed cottage cheese. If drained until dry and crumbly, it becomes farmer's cheese. Both pot cheese and farmer's cheese can be found in Eastern European grocery stores and cheese shops; many supermarkets also stock farmer's cheese.