Semolina Pancakes Recipes

SEMOLINA PANCAKES

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine 1/4 cup of the warm water with the baking powder. In a food processor, combine the semolina with the flour, yeast, sugar and the remaining 2 3/4 cups of warm water; process for 30 seconds, until smooth. Add the salt and baking powder mixture and process for 30 seconds longer. Pour the batter into a large bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet and coat it with a thin layer of vegetable oil. In a small bowl, blend the honey with the melted butter. Whisk the batter until creamy. Ladle 1/3 cup of the batter into the skillet, tilting the skillet to distribute it evenly. Cook the pancake over moderate heat until bubbles appear all over the surface and the bottom is pale golden, about 2 minutes. Shake the skillet to loosen the pancake, then slide the pancake onto a plate. Drizzle with the honey butter and serve right away. Repeat with more oil and the remaining batter and honey butter.
• Notes Fine semolina flour, sometimes also called extra-fancy durum flour, is available at Whole Foods and online at kingarthurflour.com.

SEMOLINA PANCAKES

Steps:

• Warm a pan with standing oil over as high a heat you can without burning oil.
• In bowl mix well (a fork works) Semolina, eggs, water, honey, baking soda and cinnamon in bowl. It will be pretty liquid. Don't fear, Semolina thickens as it cooks.
• Pour small amount for small cakes or large amounts for large cakes.
• Once you can get your spatula under the cake without crumbling then it is safe to flip.

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.

BEGHRIR (MOROCCAN PANCAKES)

Steps:

• Place the water, yeast, and sugar in a blender, and let stand without blending for 5 minutes, until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam. Add the milk, flour, semolina flour, eggs, baking powder, and salt. Blend until the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. Leave the mixture in the blender to rest for about 30 minutes.
• Heat a 5-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Blend the pancake mixture for about 10 seconds, to remix, and scoop 1/4 to 1/3 cup of batter into the heated skillet. Cook the beghrir until bubbles have formed and popped, and the top of the pancake is no longer shiny, about 3 minutes. Do not flip. Adjust the heat as necessary so that the bottoms of the pancakes are just starting to brown when the tops are dry. Blend the batter for 10 seconds or so after cooking 3 or 4 pancakes, to keep the batter fluffy.
• To make the sauce, place the butter, honey, and flower-water flavoring in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on High setting until the butter is melted and the honey is hot, about 1 1/2 minutes. Stir the sauce, and drizzle about 1 tablespoon over each warm pancake to serve.