Ataif / Atayif Bil Ishta -- Arab Pancakes Filled With Cream.

Ataif / Atayif are famous throughout the Arab world & are eaten most often during Ramadan. They are a little fiddly & time consuming to make but are certainly worth it! This recipe is an old one but very similar to the version Arabic Bites blog : http://arabicbites.blogspot.com/2007/06/ataif-bil-ashta.html - take a look at the step by step pictures :)

• Ready In: 3 hrs 5 mins
• Yields: 25-35 ataif approx

Ingredients

• For the dough

• 2 1⁄4 cups plain flour
• 6  g  fast action dried yeast
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 1⁄2 cups  semi skim milk
• 1 1⁄2 cups water

• For the filling (ishta)

• 2  cups  semi skim milk
• 7 1⁄2 tablespoons cornflour
• 1⁄4 cup granulated sugar
• 3  tablespoons  double cream, stiffly whipped
• 2  tablespoons rose water
• 1  teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1  cup  chopped pistachios

Directions

1. To make the filling:.
2. Mix corn flour gradually with milk and sugar then bring it to boil in a medium sized, heavy bottomed pan.
3. Stir continually until the mixture thickens, add the remaining ingredients & remove from heat. Spoon mixture into a bowl & refrigerate until cold.
4. To make the dough:.
5. Mix all the ingredients and allow to sit for 30-40 minutes.
6. Ladle approximately 2 tablespoons of the mixture at a time onto a lightly greased, hot frying pan / skillet & cook until full of bubbles - only cook ONE side.
7. After cooking all of the pancakes, let them cool a little.
8. To assemble, gently fold in half & pinch the bottom half edge together - so that you have an opening to place the cream but the rest is sealed.
9. Using a piping bag, fill each pancake with the cooled cream (ishta), before dipping the open ends in the chopped pistachios.