Atayef Mehshi Recipes

ATAYEF MEHSHI

Steps:

• dissolve yeast and sugar in 1/2 c of warm water. cover lightly with a damp cloth and leave in a warm place for about 20 minutes, or until mixture begins to foam.
• warm a large mixing bowl by rinsing with hot water and drying thoroughly. sift flour into warmed bowl. make a depression in the center, pour in yeast mixture, and beat into flour. continue beating, gradually adding the remaining warm water until mixture is the consistency of pancake batter. cover mixture with a damp cloth and leave in a warm place for 1 hour, or until bubbly.
• in a small bowl , prepare filling by mixing walnuts , sugar, and cinnamon. set aside.
• preheat oven to 375.
• place vegetable oil in a heavy skillet and swirl to coat evenly. heat pan over high heat.
• pour about 1/4 c batter into heated pan. tilt pan gently to even out batter, but keep pancake fairly thick and round. cook until it begins to bubble and comes awy easily from pan. cook only one side of pancake.
• use a spatula to remove pancake from pan and place panckae on a greased cookie sheet or baking pan. put 2 tbsp of walnut filling on uncooked side of panckae and fold in half. firmly pinch edges together to keep filling in place.
• repeat with remaining batter and filling, adding oil to pan as needed
• when all pancakes are filled, place cookie sheet or baking pan in oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes. remove from oven and cool slightly. dip pancakes in syrup or serve with cottage cheese our sour cream.

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.