Cream Stuffed Qatayef
These delicate Middle Eastern pancakes are lightly fried, stuffed with a rich clotted cream, and drizzled with fragrant rosewater syrup.
Ingredients
- •1 cup all-purpose flour (125g)
- •1/4 cup fine semolina (40g)
- •1 tbsp granulated sugar
- •1 tsp instant yeast
- •1 tsp baking powder
- •1 1/4 cups warm water (300ml)
- •1 cup heavy whipping cream
- •1/2 cup whole milk
- •2 tbsp cornstarch
- •1 tbsp sugar (for the cream)
- •1 tsp rosewater
- •1 cup granulated sugar (for syrup)
- •1/2 cup water (for syrup)
- •1 tsp lemon juice
- •1/2 tsp orange blossom water
- •1/2 cup crushed pistachios for garnish
- •Vegetable oil for shallow frying
Instructions
- 1
In a blender, combine the flour, semolina, 1 tablespoon sugar, yeast, baking powder, and warm water. Blend until completely smooth and let the batter rest for 30 minutes until bubbly.
- 2
Prepare the sugar syrup by boiling 1 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of water, and lemon juice for 5 minutes. Stir in the orange blossom water at the end and let it cool completely.
- 3
Make the cream filling by whisking the heavy cream, whole milk, cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until thickened into a thick paste. Stir in the rosewater and let it cool.
- 4
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Pour small rounds of batter (about 3 inches wide) and cook only on one side until the top is dry and bubbly and the bottom is lightly golden. Remove to a clean towel and cover so they stay pliable.
- 5
Pinch the edges of each qatayef pancake halfway closed to form a cone or pocket shape, leaving the other half open.
- 6
Spoon or pipe the cooled cream filling into the open pocket of each shaped qatayef.
- 7
Garnish the exposed cream with crushed pistachios.
- 8
Drizzle lightly with the cooled sugar syrup just before serving.
💡 Chef tips
- Make sure to cook the qatayef on only one side; the raw top is what allows the edges to stick together securely.
- You can substitute the homemade cream filling with store-bought clotted cream or thick ricotta cheese mixed with a little sugar and rosewater for a quick shortcut.
- Leftover assembled qatayef should be eaten the same day, but unfilled pancakes can be frozen for up to a month.
✅ How it should turn out
The finished qatayef feature a tender, spongy pancake shell with a crisp edge, filled with luscious, fragrant cream and topped with crunchy pistachios and sweet floral syrup.