Atayef (Middle Eastern Stuffed Pancakes)
Atayef (qatayef) are an Arabic dessert of stuffed pancakes filled with walnuts, then oven-baked and then coated in a fragrant simple syrup. Vegan friendly.
Servings: 10 pieces
Calories: 232kcal
Ingredients
Filling
- 125 g Walnuts crushed
- 1 tablespoon Dessicated coconut heaped
- 1 tablespoon Cinnamon
- 1 tbs Coconut Sugar normal sugar can be used
Simple Syrup
- 1 cup White sugar
- ½ cup Water
- 1 tbs Lemon juice fresh
- 1 tbs Rose Water
Atayef Pancake Batter
- 1 cup Plain flour
- ¼ cup Fine Semolina
- 1 tablespoon Yeast dry
- 1 teaspoon Coconut Sugar normal white sugar
- 1½ cup Warm water
- 1 pinch Salt
Other
- 1 tablespoon Neutral Oil use as needed
- 1 tablespoon Crushed pistachio for garnishing
Instructions
Prepare Filling
- Crush walnuts into small pieces. Combine crushed walnuts with cinnamon, coconut and coconut sugar. Set aside.125 g Walnuts, 1 tablespoon Dessicated coconut, 1 tablespoon Cinnamon, 1 tbs Coconut Sugar
Prepare simple syrup (attar)
- Place sugar and water in a sauce pot and stir for approx. 30 seconds to help dissolve sugar. Bring to the boil, add rose water and add lemon. Stir for 1 minute to bind it together. Set aside to cool.1 cup White sugar, ½ cup Water, 1 tbs Lemon juice, 1 tbs Rose Water
Prepare atayef pancakes
- In a mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredient. Add wet ingredients to form a batter.1 cup Plain flour, ¼ cup Fine Semolina, 1 tablespoon Yeast, 1 teaspoon Coconut Sugar, 1 pinch Salt, 1½ cup Warm water
- Heat up non stick pan over low-medium heat. Pour batter into the pan. Allow pancake to cook until bubble holes have formed and there is no more wet batter on the face. Approx. 2 minutes. Transfer from the pan into a covered tray.
Assembling atayef
- Place a pancake in your hand with the face up, pinch one end to help create the start of a pouch. Place 2-3 teaspoons of filling in the centre of the pancake. Begin pinching the perimeter of the pancake together until it is completely sealed. Place stuffed pancake onto parchment paper lined baking tray. Repeat until all done.
- Brush each stuffed atayef with oil and place tray into a pre-heated oven of 180C (356F) and bake until golden brown and crispy. Approx 20-25min.1 tablespoon Neutral Oil
- Allow to cool for about 10 minutes and brush with simple syrup and garnish with pistachio. Serve immediately.1 tablespoon Crushed pistachio
Video
Notes
- Atayef batter is thinner than normal pancake batter and will contain bubbles.
- Start using your batter after 15 minutes of letting it sit. The longer the batter sits, the more bubbles, which can make it hard to pour the batter into a round shape.
- Do not use a cast-iron skillet or pan. As it will be too hot to create the desired pancakes.
- Heat should be on low-med depending on your stovetop. Gas is hotter than electric. Conduct a test with the first poured pancake. If the underside burns, turn down your heat.
- A good size for a single serving of atayef is approximately 10-12cm in diameter. Of course, you can make this bigger or smaller to suit your needs.
- An atayef pancake is ready to take off the heat when there is no more wet batter. Bubble holes should be littered all over the pancake face.
- Never flip the pancake, these pancakes are not like regular American pancakes. It is imperative the face maintains the bubble holes and moisture, this helps with the baking and sealing of the stuffed pancake.
- These vegan atayef pancakes are very soft and tender to handle. Be careful when using a spatular to remove them from the pan.
- Place each cooked pancake on a tray covered with a tea towel. This will help retain the moisture and slight tackiness which is needed to help with pinching the pancake together once stuffed. If these remain uncovered, they will dry out, break apart, and can no longer be stuffed.
- Pancakes (not stuffed) can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days and then stuffed.
- Don’t overfill with walnut stuffing. About 2-3 teaspoons will suffice. Leave at least a 1.5-2cm rim to pinch the atayef shut.
- Leftover simple syrup can be stored in an airtight jar in the fridge for a couple of months.
Nutrition
Calories: 232kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 13mg | Potassium: 85mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg