Baked Cheese Qatayef Recipes

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.

QATAYEF

Steps:

• For the qatayef batter: Put the flour, powdered milk, sugar, instant yeast and baking powder in a large bowl and whisk until combined. Slowly add 1 3/4 cups warm water (about 110 degrees F) to the dry ingredients, mixing as you go. Whisk very well and make sure there are no lumps. The batter will be pourable and not too thick. If the batter is thick, add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of warm water and mix again. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the batter sit at room temperature until it has bubbles on the surface and smells yeasty, about 30 minutes.
• For the syrup: Meanwhile, put the sugar, rosewater and 1 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring it to a rolling boil, then lower the heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes, undisturbed. The consistency will be like pancake syrup. Set aside so the syrup comes to room temperature.
• Heat a large nonstick pan or griddle over medium heat. Whisk the batter very well. Measure about 2 tablespoons of the batter per pancake and pour into the pan. Cook the pancakes on one side only, without flipping, until the tops are dry with many bubbles and the bottoms are golden brown, about 1 minute. Transfer the pancakes pale-side up to a baking sheet or large platter in a single layer, making sure not to stack them. Cover the pancakes with a clean kitchen towel. Continue with the remaining batter. Let the pancakes cool completely before filling, keeping them covered to avoid drying out.
• For the fillings: To make the walnut filling, mix the walnuts with the sugar, cinnamon and coconut, if using.
• To fill the pancakes, hold one pancake pale-side up and add about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the walnut or cheese filling (or enough for the pancake to fold and seal easily). Fold the pancake and pinch the edges very well to seal completely. Place the stuffed pancake on a baking sheet and cover with a kitchen towel. Repeat with the remaining pancakes and walnut and cheese fillings.
• For the frying and topping: Add enough oil to a medium cast-iron pan to come about 2 inches up the sides. Heat over medium heat until the oil registers 350 degrees F. Add a few of the qatayef and fry until golden, about 2 minutes on each side (see Cook's Note). Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil. While they're still hot, add them to the pan with the syrup and toss them around to coat completely. Transfer to a cooling rack set over a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil (for easy cleanup) to drain. Repeat with the remaining qatayef and syrup.
• Arrange the qatayef on a platter and top with ground pistachios and crushed rose petals.

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 (STUFFED SEMOLINA PANCAKES)

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.

BAKED CHEESE QATAYEF

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix cheese with sugar. Add lemon juice and mix well, either by hand or in blender or processor. Cover and set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, water, and corn syrup. Bring to a boil, add orange blossom or rose water. Stir well to prevent sticking. Reduce heat to low and allow to sit until ready to use.
• Fill empanada wrappers with cheese mixture and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until brown.