Atayef
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Prep Time30 mins
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Cook Time10 mins
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Serving8
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Ready In40 mins
For todayโs dessert recipe of my Ramadan Series, I am going to share with you the one recipe that screams Ramadan to me more than any other, Atayef (Qatayef). Atayef are Middle-Eastern Pancakes made with very basic ingredients. They are stuffed with a variety of fillings like cheese or nuts and topped with a rose-water flavored simple syrup. Throughout Lebanon and the rest of the Middle-East, you will find Atayef at every local bakery during Ramadan. One very popular version is stuffed with spiced walnuts or a white cheese, deep fried, and dipped in rose-water simple syrup.
Atayef Asafiri
The Atayef recipe I am sharing with you today is much lighter than the fried versions. These are smaller in size, and stuffed with a cream and sprinkled with pistachios. They are known as Atayef Asafiri. This recipe comes from my mother who got it from her late mother, my grandmother. According to my mom, my grandmother got this recipe from a very popular bakery in Lebanon.
My mother makes these more than any other dessert during Ramadan and even after Ramadan, especially for large gatherings. They are so easy to make and always such a hit, so, expect your guests to be very impressed!
Sweet Filling
The classic filling for Atayef Asafiri is ashta. Ashta is a clotted cream made from whole milk. It can be made at home, but, to be honest I highly prefer the ricotta cheese filling. I use whole milk ricotta as I find the flavor much better and richer than skim, but, you can substitute for skim if you prefer. The ricotta filling is mixed with a sweet table cream (I use the Nestle brand which can be found at Walmart, or your local Middle-Eastern grocer.)
This Atayef batter is very similar to pancake batter, but runnier. You will find other recipes that use semolina or yeast in their batter but, this recipe is by far the easiest to work with. The atayef are cooked on a non-stick skillet just like pancakes except, they are not flipped over. The top side will bubble and once there are no more shiny (raw batter) areas, they are removed and placed on a light kitchen towel or paper towels lined on your counter. You will notice after they have fully cooled, they will get very soft which makes them easy to work with.ย
These Atayef are best served the same day. However, if you need to make these in advance, you can create the pancakes in advance and store them in an airtight bag in the fridge or even in the freezer.ย
STEP 1
In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and sugar) together.
Add the water to the combined dry ingredients and mix well. The mixture should be similar to a runnier pancake batter. Set aside to rest for 15 minutes.
STEP 2
Heat up a non-stick skillet on medium-low heat.
Drop 1-2 tablespoons of batter and spread lightly using the bottom of your spoon or ladle.
STEP 3
The Atayef will begin to bubble. Once there are no more shiny (raw batter) areas, remove the pancake using a spatula and place on a light kitchen towel or paper towels. This will take 1-2 minutes.
The bottom of the Atayef should be a light brown color.
STEP 4
To prepare the filling, add the ricotta to a small bowl and mix together. Add a tablespoon of the rose-water simple syrup to the filling to give it a wonderful rose water aroma. *This is Optional
*Skim or low fat ricotta may be substituted but I HIGHLY recommend using full-fat.
STEP 5
Once the Atayef pancakes have fully cooled, place about 1 tablespoon of filling on the pancake.
Pinch the sides together to close it ยพ of the way.
STEP 6
Dip the open section of the stuffed Atayef into the crushed pistachios.
Serve with Attar (Rose-water syrup) or as is.
Atayef
Ingredients
- 1ยฝ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 2 tb. white granulated sugar
- 1ยฝ cups water Room Temp.
- 2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
- ยผ cup crushed pistachios
- rose water simple syrup (attar) For serving
Rose Water Syrup
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 tb. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. orange blossom water
- 2 tsp. rose water
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and sugar) together.ย Add the water to the combinedย dry ingredients and mix well. The mixture should be similar to a runnier pancake batter. Set aside to rest for 15 minutes.
- Heat up a non-stick skillet on medium-low heat.ย Drop 1-2 tablespoons of batter and spread lightly using the bottom of your spoon or ladle.
- The Atayef will begin to bubble. Once there are no more shiny (raw batter) areas, remove the pancake using a spatula and place on a light kitchen towel or paper towels. This will take 1-2 minutes.The bottom of the Atayef should be a light brown color.
- To prepare the filling, add the ricotta cheese to a bowl. Add a tablespoon of the rose-water simple syrup to the filling to give it a wonderful rose water aroma.ย
- Once the Atayef pancakes have fully cooled, place about 1 tablespoon of filling on the pancake.ย Pinch the sides together to close it ยพ of the way.*Skim or low fat ricotta may be substituted but I HIGHLY recommend using full-fat.
- Dip the open section of the stuffed Atayef into the crushed pistachios.
- Serve with simple syrup or as is.ย
Rose Water Simply Syrup
- Prepare the rose water simple syrup by combing the sugar, lemon juice and water in a small saucepan. Heat on medium-high heat and whisk until all the sugar has dissolved in the water. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the rose water and orange blossom water and turn off heat. Once the syrup has cooled, pour into a jar and set aside.ย Or Check out the recipe directly here: Attar
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Reviews