Egyptian Feteer Meshaltet with Almond and Pine Nuts
Feteer Meshaltet translates to "a cushion-like pie" with or without stuffing. Served with icing sugar, cream, molasses,honey or tahini along with tea.
Prep Time50 minutesmins
Cook Time15 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr5 minutesmins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: arabic, North African
Servings: 2bread
Author: Famidha Ashraf
INGREDIENTS
For the Dough
1cupall-purpose flour
¼teaspoonsalt
2teaspoonssugar
½cupwaterapprox
cooking oil to coat the dough
2tablespoonsghee
Oil to grease the workspace and hand
For the Almond Pine Nut Mixture
2tablespoonsalmonds
1tablespoonpine nuts
2teaspoonsugar
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare the filling
Grind the nuts with sugar into a coarse powder. Take care not to process too long as these nuts release oil under too much pressure.
Prepare the dough
Mix the flour, salt and sugar in a bowl. Add cold water and use a spatula to mix well and bring the dough together. Take it out of the bowl onto a surface and use both your hands to knead until smooth for about 5 to 10 minutes. (We need soft and slightly sticky dough. Sticky but that releases without leaving any bits on your hand).
Divide and rest the dough
Divide the dough into six equal pieces and shape each one into a smooth ball. Grease a bowl or tray liberally with oil and place the dough balls in it. Ensure each dough ball is well coated with oil. Then pour some more oil so there is a thin layer of oil over the dough balls. Cover with clingfilm and leave the dough to rest in a cool place for 20 to 30 minutes.
Assemble
Grease the work surface (marble or a huge stainless steel plate like in the pics) with oil and, start to spread the dough out with your greased fingers until it becomes a paper-thin, almost transparent disc.
Spread some ghee all over the surface of the pastry and add a tablespoon of nut mixture to the centre of the sheet.
Fold the sheet in from all four sides to form a square and keep it aside.
Oil the work surface again, take a second piece of dough and spread it out with both your hands into a disc as thin as it can get.
Spread ghee, place the first dough parcel in the middle of this disc and spread some more nuts mixture over the parcel. Wrap over the four sides of the dough to completely encase the first parcel. Keep this aside.
Oil the surface once again and roll out the third piece of dough as thin as possible.
Spread some ghee, place the parcelled dough in the middle and fold over the four sides to completely encase the parcel. Keep this parcel covered and in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Repeat this rolling, folding and wrapping with the remaining three pieces of dough and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Bake in oven
Preheat your oven to the highest temperature. Grease a small round pan (4 to 6 inches) and place the chilled feteer parcel in the centre of the pan. Use your fingertips to push and spread the dough out to fill the edges or at least ¼ inch thick.
Bake Feteer for 5 min on each side or until crisp and golden brown on both sides. Remove the baked Feteer and prepare the other two parcels similarly.
Cook on stovetop
You can cook this on the stovetop in a shallow pan with oil. Fry on low to medium flame until golden brown and crispy. Flip and continue to fry both sides until cooked through.
Serve
Serve Feteer Meshaltet with dips like cream, dates molasses, honey and tahini. You may dust with some icing sugar too.