Dubai chocolate is all the rage these days – make your own at home for a fraction of the price!
Everywhere I turn, I see Dubai chocolate. From actual chocolate bars to shakes, to ice cream, it’s the “in” flavor at the moment. I can’t remember the first time I heard of it, but I was a bit apprehensive because of all the pistachio (remember, I am that weirdo that does not like nuts). When we traveled to Italy last April for spring break, we bought two bars of Dubai chocolate at the Lindt store. At that point, the candy bar had not made it to the US yet.
I’ve had several Dubai chocolate items since then, and I have to admit that I am a fan. From the luscious pistachio cream to the crunchy shredded phyllo and layers of chocolate, what’s not to love?
My brilliant daughter made it a mission to try and make her own Dubai chocolate bars at home. Otherwise, the ones we’ve seen at the store have been hovering around $15 a bar.
We ordered her some ingredients, and off to work she went. Because my tahini was expired, Addie made her own! She found a recipe and whipped up a batch in a matter of minutes. The house smelled incredible (I love the aroma of sesame).
While Addie’s chocolate bars weren’t as pretty as she wanted, they tasted like a million bucks. The Dubai chocolate bars were probably better than the store-bought ones, and we got to enjoy 4 of them for the price of one store-bought bar. Since we enjoyed them so much, I purchased a thicker chocolate mold so that we could fit in all the filling next time.
Husband’s rating: 4.5 out of 5
Addie’s rating: 4.5 out of 5
My rating: 4.5 out of 5
Homemade Dubai chocolate bars
Ingredients
- ½ pound katifi pastry I bought mine on Amazon that was pre-shredded
- ¼ cup ghee
- ⅓ cup chopped pistachios we left this out
- 18 ounces dark chocolate tempered
- 6 ounces pistachio cream
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 2 Tablespoons tahini
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- If the kataifi you have is not pre-shredded, you will need to cut it into 1 inch sections. Saute it in a pan with the ghee and keep stirring until the pastry is golden brown. During the last few minutes, add the chopped pistachios and allow to cool. Note: We had pre-shredded kataifi and just sauteed in butter until golden brown and skipped the pistachios.
- Finely chop the chocolate and melt it to temper. Using a silicone pastry brush, brush the inside of the mold so every surface is covered. Allow the chocolate to set (you can speed this up by putting it into the refrigerator or freezer).
- After the kataifi has cooled, transfer it to a medium sized bowl and add the pistachio cream, salt (if desired), tahini, and the cardamom.
- Add enough of the kataifi mixture to the molds (make sure the chocolate has already set!) to come almost all the way to the top. Use a spatula to press it down. Transfer to the refrigerator and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
- Once the filling has cooled, fill the rest of the mold with the melted chocolate. Place the bars back in the refrigerator for another 10 minutes or until the chocolate has set.
- Unmold the chocolates and enjoy!