Valentine's Day Dubai Chocolate

Hello readers, and Happy Valentine’s Day!

We’re feeling the love here at Nuttinosh, and we’ve cooked up an exciting recipe to share with you that’s been all over social media recently - that’s right, we've got you covered with our own Pistachio Butter Dubai Chocolate!

This recipe was inspired by the talented @turkuazkitchen on Instagram. Crafting our own recipe took some trial and error, and her original recipe offered some great insights and recommendations. This recipe we are sharing today is a little bit different - we are going to be using our delicious Nuttinosh pistachio butter and making our own Dubai chocolate bars. Dubai chocolate is a delicious and unique dessert, and a perfect way to surprise your loved one this holiday!

Because we are using pistachio butter instead of pistachio cream, our Dubai chocolate will be less sweet - using pistachio butter can be a healthier alternative to pistachio cream that cuts out any added sugars. A serving of pistachio cream typically contains nearly 7 grams of added sugar per serving, whereas our Nuttinosh pistachio butter has zero added sugar. Nuttinosh is a great low sugar alternative in all kinds of desserts and baking!

Making this substitution means that it will be a thicker consistency than a typical Dubai chocolate, so be mindful of the type and depth of molds that you are using! Here is a link to the chocolate molds that I used to find the best balance of the consistency. 

For this recipe, we used our Roasted Pistachio Butter, but we recommend using our Nuttinosh Pistachio Butter with Sea Salt because it has a thinner consistency and will make the molding process easier. We attempted a few batches with our Roasted butter and found that our Sea Salt works best with the baking tricks we’re using in this recipe. Plus, the sea salt makes a great addition for bringing out the flavors of the pistachio and dark chocolate even more.

Let’s Break It Down! Here’s What You Need For Dubai Chocolate:

A high-quality melting chocolate.

Your choice of chocolate is pivotal in this recipe because it needs to be able to melt and freeze well - we used a high-quality dark chocolate from Ghirardelli in this recipe as a great flavor match. Additionally, you can use keto dark chocolate or semi sweet if you’re looking for a lower-sugar option.

Nuttinosh Pistachio Butter with Sea Salt.

Using our Sea Salt Pistachio Butter will help us keep the right consistency and will make the molding process easier. Plus, the sea salt-pistachio-dark chocolate combo is one of the tastiest dessert flavor profiles out there!

Kataifi pastry.

Kataifi pastry (also called kadayif or kanafeh) is a type of finely shredded phyllo dough commonly used in Middle Eastern and Turkish desserts and savory dishes. It has a delicate, thread-like texture that crisps up beautifully! Kataifi pastry is what makes Dubai chocolate so special and delicious. We used the Eastanbul dried and chopped kataifi linked here.

Crushed pistachios.

Crushed pistachios add that delicious extra nuttiness to our Dubai chocolate, and the contrast between smooth chocolate and crunchy pistachios creates a more satisfying bite. On the making-desserts-healthy side, extra pistachios means extra protein, amino acids and healthy fats. Woohoo!

Equipment check! You’ll need chocolate molds and a “bain-marie” setup.

Before we jump in the kitchen, you’ll need a bit of equipment set up for Dubai chocolate. We need molds, and a bain-marie. You can use any chocolate molds, however be ready to adjust your ingredient quantities accordingly. I used these chocolate bar molds.

We will also be using a “bain-marie” setup. A bain-marie (also sometimes called a water bath) is used for gentle and controlled heating in the kitchen. It prevents direct exposure to intense heat, this way our chocolate won’t seize or burn. A bain-marie is great to use for melting, making sauces or even just keeping food warm.

Once you have both the molds and figured out a bain-marie setup, you're ready to make some Dubai chocolate of your own!

I’ve seen the popularity of Dubai chocolate absolutely skyrocket online, and am excited to share a recipe of my own that everyone can try. Happy Valentine’s Day from Nuttinosh to you!

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Valentine’s Day Dubai Chocolate by Anosha Singh

Prep Time: 40 mins

Freeze Time: 20-30 mins

Total Time: 60-70 mins

This recipe makes approximately two large molds of Dubai chocolate. Quantity varies based on the mold size of your choice.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups kataifi

1 8 oz jar of Nuttinosh Pistachio Butter with Sea Salt

¼ cup crushed pistachios

1 tbsp of maple syrup or honey (optional)

250g / about 8.8 oz of high quality chocolate (65% cocoa, or your preference)

Directions:

1. Cut the kataifi into small pieces using a sharp chopping knife. 
2. Heat a cast iron pan on low-medium heat and toast the kataifi slowly, consistently stirring to ensure it toasts evenly. Toast until golden-brown, and set aside.
3. Next, set up your bain-marie station - Choose a deep pan with high sides to fill halfway with water. Bring your water to a boil, and find a bowl that can be fit on top of your deep pan without touching the water.
4. Add your chocolate to the top bowl in your bain-marie setup. Stir consistently until the chocolate is fully melted. Once melted, remove from heat and let sit.
5. Once your kataifi has cooled to room temperature, add into a large bowl with Nuttinosh Sea Salt Pistachio Butter and crushed pistachios. Mix your kataifi, pistachio butter and pistachios together until well combined.
6. Next, prepare your molds. Pour melted chocolate into the mold, tilting to coat the bottom and sides until an evenly coated “shell” is made (the amount of chocolate you use depends on the size of your molds, adjust accordingly!).
7. Place your evenly-coated chocolate molds in the freezer right away. Leave in the freezer to set for 10-15 minutes. If your chocolate appears too thinly coated, add another layer of chocolate and repeat the mold process.
8. Divide your kataifi-pistachio mixture in even parts to spread evenly inside your molds.
9. Pour your remaining chocolate over the top of each mold and smooth the surface using a knife or straight edge. Place molds back in the freezer to set for another 10-15 minutes.
10. Once your chocolate bar molds are solid, remove from the molds and wrap in parchment or festive paper. Let your chocolate sit at room temperature for a few minutes.
11. Share and enjoy!

This recipe was inspired by the talented @turkuazkitchen on Instagram. Follow the link to try their original version!