Stuffed pancakes (atayef)

• makes

  20

• prep

  40 minutes

• cook

  40 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 7 g sachet dried yeast
• 2 tsp caster sugar  
• 225 g (1½ cups) plain flour, sifted
• vegetable oil, to deep-fry

Walnut filling

• 100 g (1 cup) walnuts, roasted, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp rosewater

Rosewater syrup

• 440 g (2 cups) caster sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp rosewater

Instructions

To make the walnut filling, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Place yeast, sugar and 125 ml warm water in a large bowl, and stir to combine. Stand in a warm, draught-free place for 5 minutes or until starting to bubble. Add flour and 250 ml warm water, and whisk until smooth. Stand in a warm, draught-free place for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make rosewater syrup, place sugar and 375 ml water in a saucepan over high heat. Stir to dissolve sugar, then add lemon juice. Bring to the boil and cook for 10 minutes or until reduced by one-third. Stir in rosewater, then remove from heat. Cool. (Store leftover rosewater syrup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month.)

Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Grease, then, working quickly, spread 2 tbsp batter into a 10 cm circle. Cook for 3 minutes or until bubbles form and surface is almost dry. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining batter. Place 1 tbsp walnut filling in centre of pancakes. Fold in half to enclose, pressing edges to seal. Reserve remaining filling.

Fill a deep-fryer or large saucepan one-third full with oil. and heat over medium heat to 180°C (or until a cube of bread turns golden in 10 seconds). Working in batches of 4, drop pancakes into the oil and fry, turning halfway, for 4 minutes or until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon, dip into rosewater syrup for 30 seconds, then transfer to a plate. Serve scattered with reserved walnut filling.

As seen in Feast Magazine, Issue 14, pg93.

Photography by Jason Loucas

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.