Saudi-Style Crepes filled with Sweetened Almonds (Lahooh bil Lawz)

The delicate texture of these almond-filled roll-ups is reminiscent of crepes, though these crepes are yeasted, whereas traditional crepes are unleavened. For those with a sweet tooth, they can be served with date or other syrups or with honey. They are excellent with tea or coffee as an afternoon or evening snack. My preference is to have them for breakfast, dipped in honey. Back home in Canada I invited a few friends over for brunch to introduce them to these Saudi-style crepes. My guests had the option of dipping them in honey or in maple syrup, a favorite Canadian sweetener. As it turned out those who dipped them in honey and those who dipped them in the maple syrup decided that each wanted to try the other. So it was back to the kitchen to make a second batch—an effort well spent and appreciated.

Serves: 6

Prep time: 25 minutes

Standing time: 2 hours 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 oz/7 g (1 envelope) active dry yeast dissolved in 1/2 cup (125 ml) warm water and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and allowed to stand for 10 minutes
• 1 cup (250 ml) milk
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• Neutral-flavored oil, for greasing skillet
• 1/3 cup (75 g) sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 cup (75 g) almonds, toasted and ground

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Thoroughly mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, yeast mixture, milk, egg and butter in a mixing bowl to make a thin pancake-like batter. Refrigerate covered for 1 to 2 hours, allowing the batter to rise.
2. Grease a medium skillet with a little oil and set over medium heat. Cooking one crepe at a time, pour 1/4 cup (65ml) of the batter into the hot skillet and quickly spread out the batter with the back of a small spoon to create a thin crepe. When bubbles form on the top turn the crepe over and cook until the underside browns. Repeat with the rest of the batter.
3. Combine the sugar, cardamom and 6 tablespoons of the toasted and ground almond in a small bowl. Place about 11/2 tablespoons of this mixture on one side of each crepe and roll into cigar shapes. Place on a serving dish, sprinkle with the remaining almond, and serve.