VIRAL Dubai Chocolate Bar Pistachio Cookies

Have you heard of the viral Dubai chocolate bar? The one that’s broken apart to reveal a crunchy, creamy, vibrant pistachio filling? Well, this recipe takes all the elements of this chocolate bar originally created by FIX Dessert Chocolatier in Dubai, and turns it into the most delicious cookies EVER. Trust me I’m not exaggerating!

What is the Viral Dubai Chocolate Bar?

As much as I would love to say that I took a trip to Dubai just to try this chocolate bar, unfortunately that’s not the case. So instead, I’ve stalked social media and done some Google research to learn about this indulgent treat. The chocolate bar was invented by FIX Dessert Chocolatier, whose delicious chocolate flavours are said to be inspired by the founder’s pregnancy cravings (love that!). The chocolate bar went completely viral thanks to a TikTok video with over 70 million views, sparking a frenzy of people filming their tasting reactions and recreating their own versions. Or, in the case of this recipe, turning it into an insanely delicious cookie!

How to Make the Crispy Pistachio Kataifi Filling

Kataifi, also known as Kunafa or Knafeh, is a type of filo pastry that’s finely shredded to create thin strands. In the UK, Kataifi can be tricky to find, so I’ve used the next best thing, filo pastry sheets. The pistachio mixture takes 10 minutes to make and couldn’t be easier, just follow these steps:

1. First, melt a little butter in a saucepan, this will give the filling a lovely buttery flavour and stop it from burning.
2. Tear the filo pastry sheets into small pieces and heat in the saucepan until crunchy, golden and toasted. This can take anywhere up to 10 minutes. Just be patient, keep the heat low and stir continuously so the filo doesn’t burn.
3. Microwave a jar of pistachio cream (I used this one) to melt it slightly, then pour it over the toasted filo and stir to combine. That’s it!

Top Tips for Baking Dubai Chocolate Bar Cookies

• Avoid adding too much filling. Aim for a teaspoon of the pistachio kataifi filling per cookie and shape the dough around it to seal it completely.
• Freeze the rolled cookies first. Frozen cookie dough = less spread = thick cookies! Place all of the rolled cookies on a baking tray, then wrap tightly in clingfilm or foil and freeze for 90 minutes.
• Consider prepping ahead. You can keep the rolled cookies in the freezer for up to 4 weeks and bake them as and when needed. Or, when that late-night cookie craving hits!
• Bake the cookies on a preheated tray. The heat from the tray will crisp up the cookies on the outside and stop them from spreading out too much.
• Experiment with the baking time. Oven temperatures vary, with some running hotter than others, so it’s difficult to give a precise baking time. For these Dubai chocolate bar cookies, I recommend a baking time of 12-15 minutes. The outside should be set and firm, while the middle should appear soft and slightly underbaked. When in doubt, take them out! Cookies will continue to firm up as they cool down.

VIRAL Dubai Chocolate Bar Pistachio Cookies

Have you heard of the viral Dubai chocolate bar? You know the one that's broken apart to reveal a crunchy, creamy, vibrant pistachio filling? Well, this recipe takes all the elements of this chocolate bar originally created by FIX Dessert Chocolatier in Dubai, and turns it into the most delicious cookies EVER. Trust me I'm not exaggerating!

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Prep: 10 minutes minutes

Cook: 15 minutes minutes

Freezer time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total: 1 hour hour 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 12

Ingredients

For the chocolate cookie dough:

• 200 grams Unsalted butter take the butter out of the fridge 30 minutes before starting so it's not completely solid
• 125 grams Light brown sugar
• 100 grams White caster sugar
• 2 large Eggs or 3 medium eggs. Room temperature.
• 250 grams Self-raising flour
• 100 grams Plain flour
• 50 grams Cocoa powder
• 0.5 teaspoon Salt
• 100 grams Milk chocolate chips

For the pistachio filling:

• 1 teaspoon Unsalted butter
• 2 Filo pastry sheets (75 grams)
• 200 grams Pistachio cream

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

Start by making the pistachio filling:

• Place the butter in a large saucepan and melt over low heat.
  1 teaspoon Unsalted butter
• Use your hands to tear the filo pastry into small pieces and place in the saucepan.
  2 Filo pastry sheets (75 grams)
• With the heat on medium, use a spatula or wooden spoon to move the filo around until crunchy, golden and toasted. This can take at least 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and tip into a bowl.
  
• Remove the lid from the jar of pistachio cream and microwave for 10-20 seconds. Give it a stir until it's melted and smooth.
  200 grams Pistachio cream
• Pour the pistachio cream on top of the toasted filo (save 2 tablespoons for the decoration) and stir until fully coated. Set aside and leave to cool.
  

Start by making the cookie dough:

• Chop the butter into chunks and place in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer or wooden spoon for a few minutes, until it's soft and broken up but not at the 'creamed' stage.
  200 grams Unsalted butter
• Mix in the light brown sugar and white caster sugar until the mixture is combined and looks like wet sand. Try not to over-mix at this stage otherwise the butter will become too soft.
  125 grams Light brown sugar, 100 grams White caster sugar
• Mix in both of the eggs. The mixture won't look very appealing at this stage but don't worry it will do soon!
  2 large Eggs
• In a separate bowl, whisk the self-raising flour, plain flour, cocoa powder and salt together until combined. Add to the butter mixture and fold to make a thick cookie dough.
  250 grams Self-raising flour, 100 grams Plain flour, 50 grams Cocoa powder, 0.5 teaspoon Salt
• Fold in the chocolate chips.
  100 grams Milk chocolate chips
  

Fill and roll the cookie dough:

• Line a baking tray or tin (one that will fit inside your freezer) with greaseproof paper.
• Break off large heaped tablespoons of cookie dough and flatten in the palm of your hand. Add a teaspoon of the pistachio filling in the middle and wrap the dough around it to make a ball. Repeat until all the dough is used up, you should be able to make 12 cookies in total.
  
• Place the rolled cookies on the baking tin and wrap the tin tightly in foil. Freeze for 90 minutes (or 60 minutes should do the trick if you're in a rush!).
  

Bake the cookies:

• Towards the end of the freezing time, preheat the oven to 200°C fan / 220°C conventional. Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper and place the tray in the oven for 5 minutes to heat up. The heated tray will give the cookies a crisp outside but gooey middle.
• Place 4-5 frozen cookies on the preheated tray, leaving space between each.
• Bake for 12-15 minutes until firm on the edge but soft in the middle. The cookies should still be thick with little spread. You can use a round cookie cutter to scoot them into shape.
• Leave the cookies to cool on the baking tray for 15 minutes.

Decorate the cookies:

• Remove the lid from the jar of pistachio cream and microwave for 10-20 seconds. Give it a stir until it's melted and smooth.
• Pipe or drizzle the melted pistachio onto of the cookies. Then tuck in and enjoy!
  

Video

Notes

Store the cookies in a sealed baking tin at room temperature for up to 4-5 days.