Cheese- or Walnut-Filled Crepes (Atayef)

Ingredients

• 1 tsp baking soda 
• 10 oz akkawi cheese mixed with half of the mozzarella (desalted)
• 2 tsp cinnamon 
• 2.5 cups flour 
• 3 oz mozzarella cheese fresh grated
• 1 tsp yeast dry instant
• 2 Tbsp orange blossom water 
• 1  orange zest 
• 24 servings vegetable oil; peanut oil preferred for deep-frying
• 0.5 cup ground pistachios 
• 2 cups rose syrup 
• 1 Tbsp rosewater 
• 1 pinch salt 
• 1 Tbsp sugar 
• 1 cup walnuts chopped
• 3 cups water lukewarm

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• paper towels
• sauce pan
• oven
• whisk
• baking pan
• kitchen thermometer
• kitchen towels
• slotted spoon
• colander

Directions

1. To prepare the walnut filling, mix the walnuts, sugar, zest,cinnamon and orange blossom water. Set aside. To preparethe cheese filling, I start the process the night before. Desaltthe akkawi cheese by slicing thin and immersing in cold water,leaving it to soak.
2. Drain and change the water again after1 hour, repeating five or six more times to get rid of all thesalt. Taste the cheese before using it to ensure no saltinessremains.
3. Mix the 2 cheeses, sugar and rosewater and set asidein a colander to drain any excess water.
4. Put the flour into a large bowl.
5. Mix in the salt, sugar and yeast.
6. Pour in the water gradually and beat vigorously with a whisk.
7. Beat in the baking soda. The batter should be creamy andpourable. Cover and leave aside to rise for 1 hour.
8. Spread aclean lint-free tea towel on a cookie sheet and set aside.
9. Heat anonstick heavy-bottomed frying pan.
10. Whisk the batter a littlebefore ladling 1/4 cup in the pan to make 4-inch disks. Cookonly on one side. Bubbles will start to form; they are readywhen there are no more shiny wet spots on the top (about1–2 minutes).
11. Place each atayef, browned side down, on thetea towel to cool completely.
12. Take one atayef and cup it in your hand. Fill it with either oneof the fillings. Bring the edges together to form a crescent,pinching around the edges with a little firmness to keep thefilling enclosed. Fill the remaining and set aside while youprepare your "workstation."
13. Pour 2 cups of rose syrup in adeep bowl. Line a plate with paper towels.
14. Heat the oil in aheavy-bottomed saucepan to 350°F on the thermometer.Deep-fry the filled atayef no more than four at a time untilgolden brown on both sides.
15. Remove with a slotted spoonand place on the paper towels. While hot, slide a couple at atime into the cool syrup for 1 minute to absorb.
16. Remove withanother slotted spoon.
17. Serve hot, garnished with pistachios.
18. Baking option
19. Preheat oven to 400°F.
20. Place the atayef in a shallow baking dish.
21. Brush with clarified butter on both sides.
22. Bakeuntil golden and crisp, turning over halfway.
23. Remove and pourthe cool syrup over the hot atayef.
24. Garnish with pistachios.