Atayef are semolina pancakes like, usually filled with a mixture of sweet cheese, or nuts or left open-face filled with clotted cream and scented with a rose water or orange blossom water. These delicious treats are often served throughout the month of Ramadan. Today I want to wish all my Muslim friends a happy Eid as they celebrate an end to a month long of fasting. The dough is simple with a few ingredients. I have filled these with a not so very traditional filling of halaweh or halva which is a sesame paste candy. The halaweh melts beautifully inside the atayef pancake creating a creamy filling which works beautifully with the crunchy atayef. You serve your atayef with a drizzle of orange blossom simple syrup and garnished with rose petals or crushed nuts. Wishing you a sweet week and Eid celebrations.
Atayef
Yields : 18-20 pieces
Time: 1 hour
Dough Ingredients:
3 cups water
2 cups flour
1/2 fine smeed (fine semolina)
2 tbls sugar
1 tbls baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
A pinch of salt
To cook the atayef you need:
2 tbls of unsalted butter melted
A baking tray covered with parchment paper.
Filling ingredients:
NOTE: Each type of the fillings here are enough for one atayef dough recipe. You can make one type of filling or a combination of a few.
Walnut and Spice:
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 tbls unsweetened coconut
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Few grates of nutmeg
1 tbls of sugar
2. Cheese Filling
1 cup akawai cheese soaked in water to get rid of the salt. Change the water few times. Strain and squeeze out all excess water
1/2 mozzarella cheese shredded
1 pearl mastic crushed into fine powder
3. Halaweh
1 cup of crumbled halaweh (sesame halvah, any flavor you like)
Simple syrup
2 cups sugar
1.5 cup water
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp orange blossom water
1 tsp rose water
Directions to make the dough:
Preheat the oven to 350
In a blender add the dough ingredients in the order above starting with the water combine all the dough ingredient. Mix for a few minutes until you have a smooth batter, no lumps and make sure you scrape the sides to fully incorporate the dough.
Let the batter rest for 30-45 minutes
Heat a nonstick shallow pan, over medium low heat. A pancake griddle works real well here.
Using a ¼ cup measure, pour the batter onto the heated pan or griddle, just like you would with pancakes. You don’t need to grease the Pan.
With atayef, unlike pancakes you only need to cook them on one side. So you will notice that the surface will start forming bubbles. Once the bubbles are set and no longer wet your atayef is ready.
Transfer the cooked Atayef to a baking tray covered with a kitchen towel. Place the atayef round bubbles facing up and cover them with another clean kitchen towel so they don’t dry out. Repeat the process until you finish the batter.
To stuff the atayef using your favorite filling:
place each Atayef round in the palm of your hand, the Bubbled surfacing facing you. add about 2 teaspoon of your favorite filling in the middle making sure not to over fill them. Fold the round on itself creating a crescent shape or half moon. Pinch the edges together firmly to make sure the filling stays inside. Set aside and cover with clean towel until you are done filling the rest.
Transfer all your filled atayef to your prepared baking sheet. Brush each one with the melted butter.
Put your tray in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until the atayef are golden and a bit crispy
In the meantime prep your simple syrup:
In a heavy pot add the sugar and water whisk to combine
Cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is a bit syrupy.
Add the Mormon juice cook for an Additional minute
Turn off the heat and add your orange blossom and rose water.
To serve:
Using a slotted spoon quickly dip the atayef in the warm scented simple syrup. Serve them warm. Sprinkle them with crushed nuts if you wish.
** Reciepe Note: if you are making the halaweh filling; don't dunk your cooked atayef in the syrup instead drizzle it lightly on top as the halaweh is already sweet. and Serve more on the side for people to help themselves.
This Ramadan with my friends celebrating alone I wanted to wish them a happy Eid and let them know i am thinkling of them. I prepacked all the dough dry ingredients in a jar minus the water.
Assembled the simple syrup and placed it in another jar. and finally made a filling to go with the atayef. pictured here is walnut coconut and spice filling. Gather these in a basket or a tray and send to friends as little gifts or porch drop offs.
Sahtain,
Mai
