- 1 cup walnuts, chopped coarsely
- 5 Tbsp sugar
- Zest of 1 orange
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp orange blossom water
- 10 oz akkawi cheese (desalted) or ricotta mixed with half of the mozzarella
- 3-4 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, grated
- 5 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp rosewater
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- Pinch of salt
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp instant dry yeast
- 3 cups lukewarm water
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups of rose syrup
- peanut oil, for deep-frying
- 1/2 cup ground pistachios, to garnish
- To prepare the walnut filling, mix the walnuts, sugar, zest, cinnamon and orange blossom water. Set aside. 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 more times to get rid of all the salt. Taste the cheese before using it to ensure no saltiness remains. Mix the 2 cheeses, sugar and rosewater and set aside in a colander to drain any excess water.
- Put the flour into a large bowl. Mix in the salt, sugar and yeast. Pour in the water gradually and beat vigorously with a whisk.
- Beat in the baking soda. The batter should be creamy and pourable. Cover and leave aside to rise for 1 hour. Spread a clean lint-free tea towel on a cookie sheet and set aside. Heat a nonstick heavy-bottomed frying pan. Whisk the batter a little before ladling 1/4 cup in the pan to make 4-inch disks. Cook only on one side. Bubbles will start to form; they are ready when there are no more shiny wet spots on the top (about 1-2 minutes). Place each atayef, browned side down, on the tea towel to cool completely.
- 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 “workstation.” Pour 2 cups of rose syrup in a deep bowl. Line a plate with paper towels. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan to 350°F on the thermometer. Deep-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, garnished with pistachios.