What do you get when you top a thin, fudgy brownie with a generous layer of butter toasted pastry shreds in pistachio cream and top the whole thing with milk chocolate ganache? You get the incomparably crispy, creamy, fudgey, smooth, indulgently chocolatey Dubai Chocolate Brownies.
Dubai Chocolate Brownies
When I tell you I am powerless against these brownies inspired by the viral Dubai chocolate bars I mean it. Coming from a girl who confesses to prefer chips and pretzels to most sweets, that’s really saying something.
I mean honestly, these brownies might be one of the best things to come out of my kitchen. And I am very sorry (happy?) to report that they freeze like an absolute dream, which means that you can keep them on hand at all times.
…Or at least until you’ve eaten all of them out of the freezer in the middle of the night. No? You have more willpower than I do? Good for you.
But these brownies, friends. They are powerful. They are rich, indulgent, and there is nothing like these outside of your home kitchen.We start with a very thin layer of fudgy, chewy brownies. But now we get to the real heart of the matter and that is the filling.
The filling is the made by tossing butter toasted pastry called kataifi in a mixture of sweet pistachio cream with a hint of tahini. Chances are good that you’ve had or are familiar with pistachio cream (think sweet peanut butter but made with pistachios instead of peanuts) and tahini (sesame seed spread).
Dubai Brownies
Unless you’ve traveled in the Middle East, it’s also pretty likely that you may be unfamiliar with kataifi. Kataifi is a thin, noodle like form shredded phyllo dough also known as kadayif.
It is widely used in Middle Eastern sweets, but is also found in some savoury dishes. It is a total labour of love to make it yourself; thankfully because of the popularity of viral Dubai chocolate bars, it’s readily available from retailers like Amazon these days.
Once you’ve toasted up a little of the kataifi, do yourself a favour and taste a little pinch of it. You will see instantly that this is where the magic happens. Imagine if you removed the crispy outer layer of a flaky croissant and shredded it into thin strips. That’s just about the right taste and texture.
That said, where shredded croissants would likely become soggy if tossed with pistachio cream and left overnight, kataifi somehow stays shatteringly crisp. It is truly something special.
They are not difficult to make, but they do take a little bit of work and attention to detail. Boy howdy, are they worth it, though!
Everyone knows how to whip up brownies. The brownies I’ve shared here are perfect for the job. Thin, fudgy, and dense, they hold up well to all the goodies they’re topped with.
You can sub in a pan of box mix brownies or purchased plain brownies if you are tight on time, but do make the whole thing from scratch if you get the chance. Remember, they’re magic!
The majority of the effort comes from finding a place to buy the kataifi and the pistachio cream. Most grocers carry tahini, so that’s no big deal. If you have a good Middle Eastern or global grocer around you, the pistachio cream and kataifi are possibilities. Otherwise, you’ll need to order them. As I mentioned before, Amazon is my source for both of these ingredients.
Dubai Chocolate Brownie Recipe
When it comes to hands on work, though, the bulk of the time needed to prepare these brownies is spent on toasting the kataifi in melted butter. You can’t ignore it or walk away from it because it is so fine it will scorch easily.
There’s no alternative; you simply have to stand there and flip and stir the pastry just about the whole 10 or so minutes it takes to convert the ghostly pale kataifi into a gorgeously deep golden hue. Don’t give into temptation to boost the heat under the pan. You will regret it as you watch your pastry go from underdone to burnt in seconds.
I use a flat spatula in one hand and a wooden spoon in the other. Stirring the pastry isn’t enough; you have to flip it from time to time as well.
At this point, your kitchen will smell like heaven. If you can resist snacking on the toasted pastry, you’re stronger than I am!
The crowning glory is a milk chocolate ganache that is as easy as scalding some cream and pouring it over milk chocolate chips. I do recommend getting the best milk chocolate chips you can lay your hands on; like Ghiradelli or Guittard.
Without further ado, let’s get baking. But be forewarned; once you’ve tasted these, there’s no going back!
Dubai Chocolate Brownies
Rate RecipeEquipment
- 2 quart saucepan
- measuring spoons and cups
- large frying pan
- wooden spoon or heatproof silicone spatula
- mixing bowl
- whisk
Ingredients
For the brownies:
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Dubai Pistachio Layer
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 10 ounces kataifi chopped or broken into 1/2″ pieces (about 5 cups)
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 1 1/2 cups pistachio cream divided
- 2 cups milk chocolate chips 340 g.
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Optional but tasty:
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pistachios
Instructions
To Make the Brownies:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 8×8 or 9×9 pan with parchment paper or line it with foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides either way. If you use foil, please grease it generously with extra softened butter.
- Melt the 1/4 cup of butter over medium heat in a 2 quart saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat and add the semi-sweet chocolate chips to the melted butter. Let this stand for two minutes, then stir until the chocolate is fully melted and they are evenly combined.
- Add the sugar and stir well to combine. Stir the vanilla and then beat in the eggs, one at a time, until the mixture is smooth. Add in the flour and salt and stir in gently, just until no dry pockets remain.
- Spread the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 28-32 minutes, just until an inserted toothpick shows moist crumbs. Let the brownies cool completely before topping.
To Make the Dubai Pistachio Filling:
- While the brownies bake, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the kataifi and toast, stirring often and reducing heat to low if kataifi begins to darken too quickly, until deep golden in color, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Fold in the tahini and 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons of the pistachio cream. Spread kataifi mixture over cooled brownies, gently leveling and compressing it to make an even layer that is mostly smooth. Let it cool completely before adding the ganache layer.
To Add the Ganache Layer:
- Place the milk chocolate chips in a heatproof medium bowl. Heat cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it has bubbles around the edges of pan. Pour the cream over the chocolate. Let it sit undisturbed for 2 minutes, then whisk until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth.
- Pour the ganache over the pistachio layer. Stir the remaining pistachio cream to loosen it, then use a spoon to drizzle it over the ganache. Drag a skewer or toothpick through the ganache (avoiding the pistachio filling layer) to swirl the pistachio cream a little.
- If you wish to, you can garnish the brownies with the chopped pistachios and a light sprinkle of flaky salt.
- Let the ganache firm up, then use the parchment overhang like a sling to transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into squares.
- Store leftovers in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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