Qatayef Food

KATAYEF ("STUFFED PANCAKES") MIDDLE EAST, PALESTINE

Steps:

• Mix all stuffing ingredients and set aside.
• Mix smeed, flour, and salt.
• Place warm water in an electric mixing bowl (I use my blender). While mixing on high speed, add the smeed mixture gradually to form a thin pancake mix.
• Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup of water and a dash of sugar. Add to pancake mixture, and mix for 1 more minute. Set aside for 40 minutes, stirring every 7 minutes (so the water won't separate from smeed to avoid a lumpy mixture).
• Add the baking soda and keep stirring. When the dough bubbles, it is ready to be baked.
• Use an electric frying pan set at 450 degrees (I use one of those flat frying pans, for pancakes, but I do believe any nonstick frying pan should work).
• Pour 1/4 cup dough and cook like a pancake, on one side only. Remove from fire when pores form on the surface on each cake. Place the pancakes on a smooth surfaced towel until they cool.
• Fill each pancake with the nut mixture (I place one spoonful of the mixture in the middle of the pancake).
• Fold by pressing edges together to make a semi-circle. Pinch the edges firmly to close. Brush each on both sides with warm butter.
• Place on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees in a preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until light gold.
• Remove from oven and dip in cold syrup (Thin Attar).
• Makes about 35 pieces. Enjoy!

QATAYEF RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat the water and the sugar in a small pot, until boiling.
• Add the lemon juice and simmer for five minutes.
• Pour in a bowl, and set aside to cool.
• Put nuts and sugar in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
• Heat the butter in a pan until melted.
• Add nut mixture and cook until toasted.
• Cool and set aside.
• In a bowl mix the flour, sugar, powdered milk, yeast, baking powder and salt.
• Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and add the water.
• Mix with a spatula or wooden spoon until you have a pancake batter consistency.
• Place a frying pan on a medium heat and spray with oil. Using a ladle, pour batter in the pan. Cook only on one side until the pancake shows bubbles and begins to dry out. You want the pancake to be cooked but not too dry.
• Once you have cooked all your batter, place a spoonful of filling in the middle of each pancake. Fold over and pinch the edges until pancakes stick together.
• Heat oil for shallow frying in a pot.
• Once hot, using tongs, dip each Qatayef in the oil, frying both sides.
• Once golden brown dip into simple syrup and make sure to soak both sides.
• Serve immediately.

QATAYEF RECIPE

Steps:

• In a sauce pan over medium heat, add syrup ingredients, stir a little then let it boil.
• When it boils, reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
• Turn heat off and let it cool down to room temperature, it will thicken as it cools down.
• In a deep bowl, combine first 6 ingredients, add water and mix well. (Note1)
• Cover and let it set for 30 minutes.
• Stir the batter a bit to check consistency if it is too thick then add a tablespoon of water. Batter should be thinner than pancake and not lumpy. (Note2)
• Heat a griddle or a pan and scoop about 2 Tablespoons of the batter.
• The batter will bubble at the surface and cooks, do not flip
• When the surface is longer wet remove and it is golden brown, remove from heat. (Note3)
• Arrange qatayef bubble side up on a baking sheet and cover with a towel. Set aside until you are finished with the rest of the batter.
• Continue until you finish all the batter.
• Hold the pancakes bubble side up, fill with little over a teaspoon of the nut mixture. Do not overfill as it will not close or tear and crack.
• Fold pancakes in half and pinch the sides to firmly close. (Note4).
• Heat oil for deep frying over medium heat.
• For a crispy golden qatayef, fry for like 3 minutes on each side until they are dark golden brown. If you want a softer qatayef, fry them until they are just light golden brown.
• Take them out of oil place on a paper towel for 5-15 seconds then quickly dip them in the cooled syrup while they are still hot. Toss to cover with syrup.
• Take qatayef out and let them drip in a colander. The more you leave qatayef in the syrup, the more syrup it will soak and then it will become softer.

QATAYEF

Steps:

• To make the batter
• Stir the sugar and yeast into the warm water. Let sit for 10 minutes, until foamy. Combine the whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and salt. Add the yeast mixture, mix well, and let sit in a warm place for 30 minutes.
• To make the filling
• Combine the walnuts, goat cheese, honey, and orange-blossom water.
• To make the syrup
• Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat, and heat, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Add the corn syrup and cinnamon and continue to cook, stirring, until thickened, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the orange-blossom water.
• To cook
• Butter a large griddle, and set it over low heat. Fill a frying pan with 1 inch of oil, and set it over medium heat. Line plates with paper towels for draining the fried cakes.
• Drop a small piece of bread into the oil; when it browns, the oil is ready for frying. Pour the batter onto the buttered griddle in 4- to 5-inch round cakes. When bubbles form in the tops of the cakes, transfer the cakes to a plate (do not flip them). Spread 1 1/2 tablespoons of the walnut-cheese filling on each cake, on the uncooked side. Fold the cake in half and press the edges together to seal.
• Drop the cakes into the hot oil in the frying pan. Fry the cakes for 15 to 20 seconds, or until golden on one side, then flip them and cook until the other side is golden. Drain on paper towels.
• To serve
• Transfer the cakes to serving plates, and serve with the syrup.
• Variation
• Palestinian Coconut Qatayef Replace the goat cheese with unsweetened shredded coconut and the orange-blossom water with lemon juice.

QATAYEF ASAFIRI

Steps:

• Prepare the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, lemon juice and 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool completely, then stir in 1/2 teaspoon orange blossom water and 1/2 teaspoon rose water.
• Make the batter: Add 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons water to a blender or food processor. Add all the batter ingredients and process until smooth. The batter should be quite loose, similar to heavy cream in consistency. Set aside to rest for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Place the mascarpone, heavy cream, confectioners' sugar, 1/2 teaspoon orange blossom water and 1/2 teaspoon rose water in a small bowl. Use a handheld electric mixer to whip into stiff peaks. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Cook the qatayef: Place a medium nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat until hot. Mix the batter to ensure it is smooth, then pour separate 1-tablespoon portions of batter into the pan, fitting about 4 circles. Cook qatayef until the entire surface is covered in small bubbles and the center loses its sheen, about 30 to 45 seconds. (You might be able to cook off more at a time once you've determined the right temperature and consistency of the batter.) If the bubbles are large and sparse, then your batter is too thick; stir 1 tablespoon of water into the batter to thin. Qatayef cook only on one side; the base should be uniformly golden and the top covered in small bubbles. If the disks brown too quickly - or unevenly - underneath before the batter loses its sheen on top, lower the heat slightly.
• Transfer each cooked qatayef to a large tray lined with a dish towel and cover with another dish towel while you cook the remaining batter.
• Fill the qatayef: Fold each into a half-moon, bubble side on the inside, and pinch to seal the edges together halfway. Using a teaspoon or a piping bag, fill the opening with the cream, then dip the exposed cream filling into the ground pistachios.
• Arrange the filled qatayef on a serving platter. These can be covered in plastic wrap and refrigerated for several hours until ready to serve. To serve, drizzle the cooled syrup over the qatayef and offer guests more syrup to add to their individual plates, if they choose.