Dumpling Stuffed With Nuts and Raisins (Qatayif)

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. Found on Libyan Food.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Yields: 20 or about there.

Ingredients

• PANCAKES

• 3  cups water
• 3  cups flour
• 1  tablespoon dried yeast
• 1  tablespoon sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1  pinch salt

• FILLING

• 2  cups  mixed nuts (almonds, walnuts, peanuts, hazelnuts)
• 1  cup  shredded coconut
• 1  cup sugar
• 1  cup raisins
• 2  tablespoons  orange blossom water
• 1  tablespoon cinnamon

Directions

1. Pulse the nuts in the mixer until roughly chopped. Mix with the rest of the ingredients for the filling.
2. Make the batter and preheat a frying pan, dip a cotton pad in oil and wipe the pan then pour the batter into small pancakes about 8 cm (3 inches) diameter. Four small pancakes fit in a medium sized frying pan. A pancake skillet is perfect for this if you have one. Repeat oiling the pan for each batch.
3. Cook the pancakes on one side only, remove from the pan when the top sets.
4. Place a teaspoonful of filling in the center of each pancake on the uncooked side (the side with lots of small holes).
5. Pinch the pancake edges around the filling forming a half circle.
6. Fry the filled pancakes, the qatayif should be crunchy but not hard so don't let the oil get too hot.
7. Dip the pancakes in any warm syrup before serving .