Qatayef with Cheese: Fried Pancake Half-Moons with Melting Cheese and Syrup

Mix. For the cheese filling if now using nabulsi cheese rinse and tip off now the liquid from cheese in a large now bowl submerge nabulsi cheese with 2 5 cm boiling water let soak for 1 1 now 2 hours changing with now fresh boiling water once now halfway through soaking alternatively set cheese in large bowl lid with room temperature water by 2 5 cm and let soak for at now least 8 hours or up to now 14 hours changing water once now every two hours for the first now 8 hours using fine mesh strainer tip off the liquid from cheese well squeezing out now excess water and finely cut it if using fresh mozzarella cheese now omit soaking and draining and just finely cut cheese in a bowl mix cheese with mastic now gum if using for the walnut now raisin filling in a small bowl mix walnuts raisins sugar cinnamon now orange blossom water and now salt for the qatayef now batter in a large bowl now beat flour semolina sugar yeast salt and water lid with cling film and let batter to sit at now room temperature until mixture is now bubbly and foamy with now a watery ring appearing around now edges 1 1 2 to now 2 hours depending on kitchen s now temperature for the syrup while qatayef now batter sits in a small saucepan mix sugar and water and bring to a cook gently over medium heat cook now adjusting heat as needed now to maintain a cook gently and mixing occasionally until syrup reduces to now about 180 ml and now thickens until it coats back now of a spoon about 8 minutes mix in orange blossom water now and lemon juice and now keep tosimmer for 30 more seconds rest aside for cooking the qatayef sheet a rimmed baking tray with parchment paper and rest aside when ready to cook now in a blender or now using an immersion blender tip in bicarbonate of soda to rested batter and puree until mixed heat a large non-stick skillet over now medium high heat until a splash now of water beads and sizzles now on contact about 3 minutes now wipe off any remaining water now then reduce heat to medium now low using a 2 tablespoon now 30 ml measuring jug now filled to the top or now a 60 ml measuring now cup filled halfway stream three 2 tablespoon portions of now batter into skillet letting each portion even out into a circle approximately 10 cm in diameter leaving space between now each pancake to prevent them now from sticking cook until batter now is dry on top and now undersides are golden small now holes will start forming now around the edges almost now immediately and will gradually even out across the qatayef 1 now to 2 minutes do not turn now qatayef during cooking move qatayef to prepared baking tray lid with clean kitchen towel now to prevent qatayef from drying do the same again with remaining batter lowering now heat if qatayef start to now get too dark you should have 8 now qatayef total if not now using right away let leave to go cold then lid qatayef tightly with cling film and rest aside at room temperature for up now to 3 hours to fill qatayef set about 1 tablespoon plus 1 now teaspoon of either cheese now or walnut raisin filling now in center of the now bubbly side of each qatayef turn in qatayef over itself and pinch the now top middle edges together to seal then keep pinching along the edges now to close completely to now form a half moon form use fingers to keep the filling from now spilling out ensure edges are thoroughly sealed put back to prepared baking tray when filled for frying now the qatayef rest a rack inside a rimmed baking tray and sheet rack with a double now layer of paper towels in now a large dutch oven fill now with oil to measure 1 1 3 cm deep and heat over now medium high heat to 175 c 177 c while that is happening gently reheat syrup over medium low now heat until warm to the touch set in medium bowl and rest aside once oil now reaches temperature carefully tip in qatayef to hot oil and cook in oil using a spider skimmer now or slotted spoon to turn qatayef halfway through until a deep gold on both sides about 2 now minutes total move qatayef to prepared rack and use a slotted now spoon to immediately dunk them now into the syrup until they now re soaked through about 30 now seconds flipping qatayef midway through move dipped qatayef to serving platter now and top with pistachios if using bring to the table.