Cheese or Walnut-Filled Crepes - Recipe - (2011)

 

Cheese or Walnut - Filled Crepes - Recipe - (2011)

MAKES 24 CREPES

2 1/2 cups flour
pinch of salt
1 tbs sugar
1 tsp instant yeast
3 cups lukewarm water
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups of rose syrup
peanut oil, for frying
1/2 cup ground pistachios, to garnish

WALNUT FILLING

1 cup walnuts, chopped coarsely
5 tbs caster sugar
zest of 1 orange
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbs orange blossom water

CHEESE FILLING

300 g akkawi cheese (desalted)
or ricotta mixed with 1/2 of the mozzarella
100 g fresh mozzarella cheese
5 tbs caster sugar
1 tbs rosewater

1

To prepare the walnut filling, mix the
walnuts, sugar, zest, cinnamon and orange
blossom water. Set aside.

2

To prepare the cheese filling, I start the
process the night before. Desalt the akkawi
cheese by slicing thin and immersing in cold
water, leaving it to soak. Drain and change
the water again after 1 hour, repeating five or
six times more to get rid of all the salt. Taste
the cheese before using it to ensure no
saltiness remains. Mix the two cheeses, sugar
and rosewater and set aside in a colander to
drain any excess water.

3

Put the flour into a large bowl. Mix in the
sugar, salt and yeast. Pour in the water
gradually and beat vigorously with a whisk.
Lastly, beat in the baking soda. The batter
will be of a smooth and creamy pouring
consistency. Cover and leave aside to rise for
1 hour. Spread a clean lint-free dishtowel on
a large cookie sheet and set aside. Heat a
nonstick heavy-bottomed skillet. Beat the
batter a little with the whisk before ladling
124 cup full of batter to make discs of
around 10 cm diameter. Cook only on one
side. The bubbles will start to form; you will
know they are ready to be taken off when
there are no more shiny wet spots on the top
(about 1-2 minutes). Place each finished
atayef, browned side down, on the tea towel
to cool completely.

4

Take one atayef and cup it in your hand.
Fill it with either one of the fillings. Bring the
edges together to form a crescent, pinching
around the edges with a little firmness to
keep the filling enclosed. Fill the remaining
and set aside while you prepare your
stations. Pour 2 cups of rose syrup in a deep
bowl. Line a plate with paper towels. Heat
the oil in a saucepan to 180°C on the
thermometer. Fry the filled atayef no more
than four at a time until golden brown on
both sides. Remove with a slotted spoon
and place on the paper towels. While hot,
slide a couple at a time into the cool syrup
for 1 minute to absorb. Remove with another
slotted spoon. Serve hot.

BAKING OPTION

Preheat oven to 200'C. Place the filled atayef
in a shallow baking dish. Brush with clarified
butter on both sides. Bake until golden and crisp,
tuming over halfway. Remove and pour the
cool syrup over the hot atayef. Serve
garnished with ground pistachios.
 
Source:Cheese or Walnut-Filled Crepes - Recipe - (2011)

Cheese or Walnut-Filled Crepes - Recipe - 2011