Qatayef

Qatayef is an Arab dessert commonly eaten during Ramadan.  It is a sweet dumpling often filled with nuts or cheese. Here, I have filled it with a walnut and cashew mixture with cinnamon. It is commonly fried, yet in some cultures it is baked. Qatayef is drizzled with honey, sweet sugar syrup or powdered sugar.

Ingredients

Dough

3 tbsp. corn starch
2 3/4 cup cold water
2 cups flour
1/2 cup semolina
3 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
Filling
White Cheese, unsalted
Walnuts, Cashews with a little sugar and  cinnamon

Syrup

3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
3 tbsp. orange blossom water
1 tsp. lemon juice

Directions

Dough
Mix the flour, semolina, sugar and baking powder.
Dissolve corn starch in cold water.
Gradually add the starch/water mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well.  Set aside for 30 minutes.

Make the syrup
In a sauce pan, combine the sugar, water, orange blossom and lemon juice and stir until the sugar dissolves.  Bring to a boil and simmer until the syrup thickens.

Heat a frying pan or griddle, Using a ladle or scoop, pour enough batter to make 3 - 5" pancakes.
Cook until the pancake starts bubbling on top then remove from the pan and set aside. (cook on one side only).
Fill each pancake with cashew walnut mixture , fold it in half and press to seal the edges.
Fry the Qatayef.
Dip into the syrup for a minute or so and serve immediately.