Dubai Chocolate Bar
This Dubai Chocolate Bar is a rich, luxurious treat filled with a crispy, creamy pistachio filling and coated in smooth chocolate. It looks stunning and tastes even better—with a shiny chocolate shell and a sweet nutty crunch in every bite. Perfect for gifting or just indulging in something extra special!
Servings: 2
Equipment
- Frying pan
- Heatproof bowl
- Spatula or bench scraper
- Measuring cups and measuring spoons
- Candy thermometer Optional
- Small brush Optional
Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded kataifi dried and chopped
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup pistachio cream not pistachio butter or paste!
- 1 tbsp tahini
- ½ tsp salt
- 16 oz real chocolate dark or milk, your choice
- Lustre gold dust Optional, for decoration
Instructions
- In a large frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat, then add the kataifi and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it turns golden brown and crispy.
- While the kataifi cools slightly, stir together the pistachio cream, tahini, and salt in a large bowl until well combined, then mix in the toasted kataifi until evenly coated.
- Melt your chocolate in a heatproof bowl using a double boiler or microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring in between. If you'd like a glossy, snappy finish, temper the chocolate first—this step is optional but makes the bars look extra professional.
- Pour most of the melted chocolate into your silicone molds and tilt them in all directions to coat the sides. Flip the molds over your bowl to drip out the excess chocolate and use a spatula or bench scraper to clean the edges.
- Place the molds in the fridge to let the chocolate shell set. This will take just a few minutes if tempered, or longer if not.
- Once the chocolate shells are firm, spoon in the pistachio kataifi mixture, pressing it into the corners and smoothing the top flat, making sure not to overfill.
- Pour the remaining melted chocolate over the filling to seal the bars, then scrape the tops again for a clean, flat finish. If the chocolate has cooled too much to spread, gently rewarm it.
- Refrigerate the bars until completely set, then carefully pop them out of the molds.
- Optional: For a beautiful golden finish, mix some lustre gold dust with a drop of water or alcohol and paint it onto the chocolate using a small food-safe brush.
Notes
- Dried and chopped kataifi is easiest to work with and toasts up nice and crunchy. If you can only find long strands, just snip them into smaller pieces before cooking.
- Use real chocolate bars, not chips or candy bars—those have additives that make them hard to melt properly. High-quality chocolate gives the best taste and texture.