Ataïf
Ataïf are dearly loved all over the Arab world. They were favorites of the Caliph Mustakfi of Baghdad in the tenth century. At a lavish banquet in his honor, a poem written by a certain Mahmud ibn Husain al-Kushâjim extolling the merits of ataïf was recited. Basically pancakes dipped in syrup, they are sprinkled with pistachios and eaten with thick cream or, more grandly, they are stuffed with chopped nuts or with cheese. The stuffed ones are my favorites. They are eaten during festivals, especially during the month of Ramadan, when they are sold in the street. They are the sweets of happy occasions such as weddings. Once upon a time, in Egypt, on the day of betrothal, a string of camels or donkeys brought the bride’s furniture and belongings to the house of the bridegroom, while he gave a farewell “stag” banquet complete with dancers and singers. The young bride had a ritual bath and was then conducted to her new home by a colorful procession headed by buffoons and musicians, dancers, jugglers, sword swallowers, and fire eaters. These were followed by lavishly decorated donkey carts. A first cart carried a coffeemaker with pots and cups and a fire, making coffee for well-wishers. A second carried makers of ma’amoul and trays covered with these pastries to distribute. A third carried pancake makers, handing out ataïf to passersby. When the bride arrived at the house, she sat down with her guests to a feast where hundreds of these delicacies were consumed. Families nowadays usually buy their ataïf ready-made from bakeries, and then stuff them and soak them in syrup. But the batter is easy enough to make at home. Several people I know always make it themselves. None have scales, nor do they measure quantities. They just look at the batter and add more water or more flour if they think it requires it. An aunt who lives in California and who has never ceased to cook in the Oriental manner uses a well-known pancake mix, which is very acceptable.
Recipe information
Yield
makes about 30 tiny open pancakes or about 12 large stuffed pancakes
Ingredients
For the Batter
For the Syrup
Preparation
Step 1
For the batter, dissolve the yeast with the sugar in 1/2 cup of the water. Let it stand in a warm place for 10 minutes, or until it froths. Put the flour in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture and the remaining water gradually, beating vigorously, to make a creamy, lump-free batter. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour. The soft, almost liquid batter will rise and become bubbly and a little elastic.
Step 2
To make the syrup, bring the water to the boil with the sugar and lemon juice and simmer for 10 minutes, until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Then stir in the orange-blossom or rose water and simmer for a few seconds more. Allow to cool, then chill in the refrigerator.
Step 3
When the batter is ready, rub a nonstick skillet with oil (use a paper towel) so as to grease it with a very thin film. Heat the skillet until it is very hot, then reduce the heat and keep it at medium.
To make Tiny Open Ataif
Step 4
Pour the batter by the tablespoon into the skillet, making several small rounds that are not touching, in the pan. As little holes appear on top and the pancakes come away from the pan easily and become golden on the bottom, turn and do the other side. Drop them into the syrup when they are done.
Step 5
To serve, arrange in one layer on a flat serving dish. Spread with about 1/2 pound thick cream. In the Middle East the cream made from buffalo’s milk called eishta is used (see page 407), but you may use clotted cream or mascarpone or whipped heavy cream.
Step 6
Sprinkle on about 1 1/4 cups chopped pistachios or almonds, or spread a teaspoonful of rose-petal jam over the cream (this is popular at weddings). For a party, make a mound with several layers of pancakes, each spread with cream and rose-petal jam or sprinkled with chopped pistachios or almonds.
To make Stuffed Ataif
Step 7
This is one of my favorite Arab sweets. Pour 1/2 ladle of batter into the oiled skillet over medium heat, tilting the pan a little to allow it to spread. It will not spread out too much and will remain in a small, round, fattish shape. Fry one side of the pancake only—this is very important. The other side must remain uncooked and moist, so that its edges can be stuck together. When the pancakes lose their whiteness and little holes appear, and as they become detached from the pan, lift them out and pile them up on a plate ready to be stuffed.
Step 8
Put a heaping tablespoon of stuffing (see below) in the middle of each pancake, on the uncooked side. Fold the pancakes in half over the filling to make a half-moon shape, and close the pastries by pinching the edges firmly together to seal them and trap the filling.
Step 9
Deep-fry, a few at a time, in medium-hot oil about 1 inch deep, until pale brown, turning them over once. Lift them out with a perforated spoon and drain on paper towels. Then dip them, while still hot, in the above syrup.
Step 10
Serve hot or cold. You can make them in advance and reheat them, covered, in the oven. For those who have a sweet tooth, serve them with more syrup poured over.
Filling for Ataïf bi Loz— Pancakes Stuffed with Walnuts
Step 11
Mix 2 cups coarsely ground or chopped walnuts, 3 to 4 tablespoons sugar, and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon. They are divine.
Filling for Ataïf bi Gebna— Pancakes Stuffed with Cheese
Step 12
In the Middle East a slightly salty and sharp cheese called akaoui is used. Alternatives are ricotta, mozzarella, and even a slightly salted halumi (soak the cheese in several changes of water to remove the salt). A good combination is 3/4 pound of a half-and-half mixture of mozzarella and ricotta, blended to a paste in the food processor. Dip the hot pancakes in syrup and serve hot. Mozzarella and halumi become hard and rubbery when they are cold.
