Atayef Middle Eastern Stuffed Pancakes

5 from 13 votes

Atayef Middle Eastern Stuffed Pancakes

Atayef, or qatayef, are crispy, sweet, Middle Eastern pancakes stuffed with cheese, nuts, or cream. They are a popular dessert during the month of Ramadan.

Servings:

Ingredients

Qatayef Pancake Batter

1 ½ cup all-purpose flour see Note 4
½ cup semolina see Note 4
2 cups warm water
2 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon baking powder
1-2 tablespoon rosewater optional
¼ teaspoon salt

Nut Stuffing

½ cup crushed walnuts
2 tablespoon sugar
1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Cheese Stuffing

¾ cup nabulsi akkawi, shelal, or mozzarella cheese

Sugar Simple Syrup

⅔ cup sugar
⅔ cup water
1 tablespoon orange blossom water
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Mix the dry ingredients together, then add the warm water and rose water. Mix until you get a consistency that's slightly runnier than pancake batter (you might need slightly more water). Cover the pancake batter with a towel and let it rest for an hour.
Prepare the simple syrup by mixing all the ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil, and cook while mixing frequently until it thickens. Set aside to cool.
After your atayef batter has rested, heat a nonstick skillet or pan to medium heat. Scoop the batter using a measuring cup (¼ cup) or ice cream scoop. Once the batter has bubbled and changed in color slightly, take the pancake off the stove and cover it with a towel. Repeat until the batter is finished. Do not flip the pancake!
To make the walnut stuffing, mix the ingredients together, and chop or crush until you get a rough mixture. Scoop about 1 heaping teaspoon onto one half of the pancake, fold over, and pinch the sides together firmly with your fingers.
Do the same if you're filling them with cheese.
Heat the oil in a deep frying pan, test it out by dropping a tiny piece of dough into the oil. If it starts bubbling, the oil is hot enough.
Drop the qatayef in the oil, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Fry until golden, then remove from the oil with a slotted spatula to a plate.
Drizzle the simple sugar syrup on top. Serve immediately.

Notes

When cooking the pancakes, make sure the side facing up is no longer shiny before taking it off the heat. Don't flip the pancakes.
The pancakes can stick together; don't lay them directly on top of each other.
Storage: Make a double batch of atayef and store one in the freezer. Cook, stuff, and fold the pancakes, then place them in a freezer bag or airtight container. Then, defrost and deep fry them before serving. They'll store well for up to 2 months in the freezer.
Ingredient Notes:
- Semolina: You can use either coarse or fine semolina for this recipe, but it's one of the key ingredients.
- Rosewater: This part is optional. I like to add 2-3 tablespoons of rosewater to my atayef batter because I think it gives it a special flowery aftertaste. If you don't like rosewater, you can just skip it.
- Orange Blossom Water: The secret ingredient to Arab simple syrup. A tablespoon goes a long way and will leave your syrup tasting fresh.
- Cheese: Traditionally, you'd want to use Nabulsi or Akkawi cheese. But since both are really hard to find here in Cairo, I use the slightly saltier shelal cheese. You can also use fresh mozzarella.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is the best option, but I've also used whole wheat flour before and got the same results. Stay away from coarser flours like wholemeal and cornmeal, though.

Nutrition