Rich and creamy ashta stuffed in qatayef, and drizzled in simple syrup. Rose and orange blossom delicately flavour this Middle Eastern dessert.
In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, heavy cream, cornstarch, and sugar together. Whisk really well until cornstarch has been dissolved into the milk.
Once the cornstarch is dissolved, place the saucepan over the stove on medium high heat, and begin whisking constantly.
When the mixture begins bubbling, reduce heat to medium low; continue whisking constantly. Continue whisking until thickened to a custard consistency, about 5-10 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the orange blossom water and rose water. Pour the ashta into a heat-proof bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, ensuring the wrap touches the surface of the ashta itself.
Allow to cool for 15 minutes at room temperature. Transfer to fridge for 1 hour, or until ready to use.
To make the simple syrup, add the sugar and water to a small saucepan, stir, and bring to a boil over medium high heat.
Once boiling, stir in the lemon juice and reduce heat to a simmer.
Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in orange blossom water. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
Pour the simple syrup into a jar or bowl and place in fridge to cool until ready to use.
To make the small pancakes, first place the water into the blender.
Add the flour, semolina, sugar, baking powder, instant yeast, and salt to the blender and blend for about 1 minute. Let this mixture rest on the counter for 30 minutes.
Once the mixture has rested, heat a pan or pancake griddle over medium heat. Once hot, add a small amount of oil or butter (if needed) to the pan or griddle.
Pour or spoon the batter onto the pan to make small pancakes, about 3 inches in diameter. Don't worry, it does not have to be exactly 3 inches and it doesn't need to be perfect!
Wait for the top of the qatayef to dry out (you will slowly see it begin to dry up). Once you don't see anymore wet batter on the top, remove from heat and place on a kitchen towel. DO NOT FLIP. You might need to adjust the heat to make sure the bottom doesn't burn while waiting for the top to dry out. Don't be afraid to test a couple qatayef to get it right.
While the qatayef are still warm, gently fold each in half and pinch the ends together halfway to create a pocket. Please see the photos in the blog post to get a visual.
Allow the qatayef to cool.
Use a small spoon to gently stuff the qatayef with the ashta. Fill as deep as you can without breaking the qatayef. You won't be able to get all the way back, so don't worry.
Once they're all filled, gently dip the exposed ashta into the crushed pistachios and arrange on a serving plate.
Drizzle the simple syrup over the stuffed qatayef and serve immediately. Don't forget to have the jar of remaining simple syrup handy so people can drizzle more on their individual piece if needed.