Qatayef - قطايف - Dumpling Stuffed with Nuts and Raisins

Qatayif are made throughout the Arab world in Ramadan, and at no other time. The origins of these  stuffed and fried pancakes, like the traditional  Ramadan lantern go back to medieval Cairo. The filling can be either sweet cheese or nuts and raisins. This is the nut filling version flavored with orange blossom water and cinnamon. 

Ingredients (makes about 12)

400ml water

200g flour

1 tablespoon dried yeast

1 tbs sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

Filling

2 cups mixed nuts (almonds, walnuts, peanuts, hazlenuts)

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup sugar

1 cup raisins

2 tablespoons orange blossom water

1 tablespoon cinnamon

Preheated a frying pan, dip a cotton pad in oil and wipe the pan then pour the batter into small pancakes about 8 cm diameter. Four small pancakes fit in a medium sized frying pan. A pancake skillet is perfect for this if you have one.

Cook the pancakes on one side only, remove from the pan when the top sets.

Pulse the nuts in the mixer until roughly chopped. Mix with the rest of the ingredients for the filling. Place a teaspoonful of filling in the center of each pancake on the uncooked side (the side with lots of small holes)

Pinch the pancake edges aroung the fillling forming a half circle or moon shape

Fry the filled pancakes, the qatayif should be crunchy but not hard so don't let the oil get too hot

Dip the pancakes in warm syrup before serving