'Atayef
plus some unsolicited current political commentary
For starters, these ‘Atayef are a lot harder than they look. I thought it would be pretty straightforward since I can make decent pancakes but to ensure just the right cook on them so they’re not under-cooked, and keep a close eye on them so they’re not overdone where it becomes hard to fold them without cracking them, required undivided attention. It could very well be because it was my first time and I haven’t quite got the keen eye for doneness yet, but seeing giant mounds of ‘Atayef in Palestine last summer made it seem like these were a breeze to whip up.
Generally, ‘Atayef is made in times of celebration or during the month of Ramadan. I haven’t had one personally in a long time, but can still remember the keen sweet and salty flavor from the nut filling and simple syrup. Today, to try to minimize the use of too much oil in cooking, I’m baking these for the second to last step to get the golden brown color as you’ll see below.
If you’ve been following along on Instagram, I announced that I will not be posting any weekend polls for the next few weeks as I do not want to take away from stories and posts being made about Palestine. I’ll still be doing weekly recipe testing but will not be promoting my content. You’ll get one email when the post goes live and you’ll see a carousel posted on IG but probably, not more than that. I urge that we put our focus on the Palestinians and spend our money there in donations. I will link reputable and verified organizations below that have been raising funds. Any funds that come in from new paid subscriptions for the next few weeks will be donated in their way. This post will also be viewable in its entirety for all subscribers, so please share with your friends and family.
Gluten free
Now I’m not sure whether or not there is a traditional way of making ‘atayef gluten free, but after some research, I found that using rice powder, arrowroot starch, or corn flour would be the best substitutes for semolina. The gluten free flour blend that I use already contains rice flour, so I stuck with that and used almond flour as my semolina substitute. The consistency of the batter stayed normal like a pancake batter does, and as long as I cooked them at the right time and temperature, no issues arose.
Simple Syrup Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
180 mL water
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Pancake Ingredients
Yields 12-15 small pancakes
1/2 cup gluten free 1:1 all-purpose flour blend (I used Target’s Good & Gather)
1/4 cup almond flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
60 mL whole milk
120 mL water
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
Oil for shallow frying
Filling Ingredients
42.5 grams chopped walnuts
42.5 grams ricotta cheese
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Method
Prepare the simple syrup first. Place the sugar and water in a saucepan on medium heat and allow it to come to a boil.
Drop the heat to low and allow it to simmer for 5 minutes.
Add in the lemon juice, then simmer again for another 2 minutes.
Set aside off the heat and allow to cool.
In one bowl, add the milk and water and warm in the microwave for 30-45 seconds. The liquid should be warm to the touch. If it becomes too hot, allow it to cool to warm.
Add the instant yeast the the liquid and allow it to bloom for 5 minutes.
In a separate bowl, add together all the dry ingredients.
Slowly add in the liquid to the dry mixture. Cover and let it rest for 20-30 minutes.
While the batter is resting, prepare the filling. Combine the chopped walnuts with cinnamon and ricotta cheese. Set aside to use once pancakes are cooked.
After 20-30 minutes, heat some oil in a pan.
On low heat, spoon two tablespoons of the batter to make one little pancake. Bubbles will begin to form. When all the bubbles form and dry out, and the top begins to lose its shine, the pancake is ready and can be set aside. Do not flip the pancake! Do one or two test pancakes before cooking the remaining batter.
As the pancakes are done, set them aside on a plate and keep them covered with a clean kitchen towel so they don’t dry out.
To fill each pancake, spoon out half a teaspoon or so of the filling and place it on one half of the pancake.
Fold the pancake in half and press together the edges to form a seal.
Once all the pancakes are cooked, filled, and sealed, preheat the oven to 350F.
Bake the pancakes for 10-15 minutes to get the outside golden brown.
Dunk them in the simple syrup as soon as they are done baking.
Remove from the syrup and enjoy!
Notes
I chose to bake the ‘atayef after sealing it as a personal preference since I like to avoid frying in oil as much as I can. If you choose to fry the ‘atayef instead, do so on medium heat until the exterior of the ‘atayef is a golden brown.
*I had my Palestinian sister-in-law try these and while she thinks they taste just about as close to actual ‘atayef (aka, full of gluten), she did recommend not pulsing the nuts as finely as did. You should be able to taste the crunch of the filling. So if you also like the varied textures, keep those nuts chopped, not pulsed.
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Make sure to tag @chaishaiwithme on Instagram, and comment below if you make this ‘atayef! Happy cooking!
