Fried Qatayef with Ashta

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup fine semolina
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 3 cups warm water
• 1 tablespoon yeast
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon orange blossom water
• 1 teaspoon mahleb - optional
• Ashta (clotted cream) filling:
• 3 cups liquid milk or (1 cup milk powder with 3 cups water)
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons fine semolina (also called fine semolina flour)
• 1 tablespoon orange blossom water
• Syrup:
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• juice of one small lemon
• a splash of orange blossom water
• Syrup method:
• For more Arabic desserts from Esraa see: How to make Halawet El-Safouf
• For more cheese desserts see: Cheese halawa with mozzarella
• Esraa’s qatayef with cheese method as well

Method

1. Put all the ingredients in an electric blender for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is very smooth.
   Timers: 3 min
2. Let it rest for half an hour to rise and ferment.
3. Start frying in a nonstick pan over medium heat... Pour a little of the batter into the pan, and when bubbles appear and the underside turns golden, remove the qatayef from the pan and continue frying the rest of the batter the same way.
4. Cover the pieces immediately after removing them from the pan with a towel so they stay soft until filling time.
5. Prepare the filling earlier... Put the milk, flour, and semolina with the water in a pot and stir while cold, then place the pot over the heat and stir constantly until the ashta thickens well.
6. Add the orange blossom water, remove the filling from the heat, and stir it.
7. Pour it into a wide bowl to cool before filling the qatayef.
8. After the ashta has cooled completely, fill the qatayef, seal them, and fry them in plenty of hot oil until golden.
9. Immediately transfer them from the oil to the cold syrup at room temperature.
10. Remove them from the syrup and serve.
11. Put the sugar and water in a pot over the heat without stirring.
12. Once it comes to a boil, add the lemon juice and leave it over low heat for 10 minutes.
    Timers: 10 min
13. Add the orange blossom water, stir, and turn off the heat.
14. Let the syrup cool completely.
15. Note: The qatayef can also be filled with crushed or ground walnuts, with a pinch of cinnamon and orange blossom water.