22 Pieces
Making this dessert evokes feelings of happiness and serenity for me . It is a dessert that most people around the world can relate to, after all it is a pancake which has elements of cream and syrup. It is a familiar dish to most and so you might think that the chances of this being a crowd pleaser is quite promising.
Comparing its flavour or similarities to the Western version with whipped butter and maple syrup would be like comparing Tabouli to a Coleslaw (they are both a salad but the flavours are not comparable). Your brain will try and tell you one thing about what to expect but your taste buds will be singing a different song.
If you ever wanted to make a Middle Eastern dessert that looks just as beautiful as it tastes Atayef is definitely the one. This recipe is what I would consider an entry level to Middle Eastern dessert making. I have simplified the recipe so that it would be easier for beginners in Middle Eastern cooking to follow and undertake.
This dessert has a wow factor with minimal effort. Whenever I am invited to a special celebration I like to make Atayef, as they are light with a delicious delicate flavour and loved by all my family members. One is simply never enough. It is an absolute joy to make them and even more so to serve.
Ingredients
Pancake Batter
- 1 cup of self raising flour or 145 grams
- 1/2 cup fine semolina
- 1 tablespoon caster sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3/4 cup of milk
- 1 cup of water
Cream Filling
- 600mls thickened cream
- 1 tablespoon caster sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla paste (optional)
Garnish
- 80g Crushed natural pistachio nuts
- Dry edible roses or fresh edible flowers
Rosewater and Orange Blossom Syrup
- Refer to the Attir recipe in the Dessert Page
Method
Pancake Batter
- Sift all the dry ingredients into a bowl (you don’t have to sift but I always do)
- Add the milk and water
- Whisk it as best as you can until there are no more lumps or clumpy bits
- Leave the batter aside for 30 minutes to allow the semolina to absorb some of the liquid and become softer
Cream Filling
- Place the thickened cream in a bowl
- Add sugar and vanilla
- Whisk until the cream has thickened well. You can’t have runny cream, it has to be thick and hold its shape
- Place it in the fridge until it’s time to fill the pancake shells
Cooking The Pancakes
- Use a non-stick pan you would ordinarily use to cook a pancake
- Place it on the stovetop at the lowest setting allowing your pan to heat and maintain a constant mild heat as you don’t want your pancakes to burn.
- Give your batter a good final mix and measure 30mls of batter and gently pour into the pan. Do not flip your pancake over as it will be impossible to seal your pancake shell
- while the pancake begins to cook you should notice many little bubbles forming on the surface. If you only have a few bubbles, your batter is probably too thick and you need to add a teaspoon of extra water , mix and then try again
- Wait until the pancake batter has dried on the top. You should be able to touch the top with your finger and no batter gets stuck on your skin
- Your pancake should have a lovely golden coloured base and a dry white top (not too dry though, just dry is perfect)
- Remove the pancake and place it on the kitchen towel and cover it with another kitchen towel so it doesn’t dry up.
- Once your pancake is cool enough to touch grab the sides of the circle pancake and bring it in halfway pinching the edges until you have a shape that resembles a cone or shell.
- I usually do this once the next pancake cooking, as I don’t want to risk the pancake drying up and not sealing properly.
- Repeat this process until you have used all the batter and all your pancake shells are formed and are ready to be filled.
Filling or Piping The Pancake Shells
- Using a silicon spatula, spoon or a piping bag, fill each of the pancake shells with the whipped cream.
- Dip the entire opening into the crushed pistachio nuts (covering the cream with nuts) and place them on a serving platter.
- Repeat the process until all the shells have been filled
- Plate them nicely, sprinkling dry or fresh edible flowers on the top
- Serve each filled pancake with a generous drizzle of Rosewater Syrup on top
There is nothing more satisfying than serving this dessert alongside a freshly brewed Arabic coffee or aromatic tea after a beautiful meal.
“Sahtain Everyone!”, meaning, ” Enjoy with a double wish of good health!”
Tips
- This dessert is best prepared and eaten on the same day, it is never as good the next day
- You can prepare some elements the day before like, the whipped cream, the Rosewater and Orange blossom water Syrup and crushed pistachio nuts
- It is best kept refrigerated until ready to serve
- If there is any leftover cream place it in a small bowl on the table for anyone wanting to have extra or in the fridge for other uses
- The cream I usually purchase comes in a 300 ml container (which is not enough) or a 600 ml container which always leaves me with a little cream left over.
