Dubai chocolate – chocolate filled with a rich, crispy combo of pistachio cream and kataifi pastry – has become the viral trend of the year this year, with shops selling out as soon as bars hit the shelves. If you want to opt out of the mania but still want to enjoy all the taste qualities that have made it so popular, we’ve borrowed the key elements and twisted them into these delicious little pastries. They’re super easy to pull together and also very portable, so perfect for picnics and outdoor gatherings.
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Yields:
6 serving(s)
Prep Time:
15 mins
Cook Time:
35 mins
Total Time:
50 mins
Ingredients
40g
kataifi pastry
150g
pistachio cream
2tsp.
white sesame seeds
40g
dark chocolate, finely chopped
320g
ready rolled puff pastry, at room temperature
1
medium egg, beaten
TO DECORATE, OPTIONAL
40g
dark chocolate, melted
15g
pistachio kernels, finely chopped
Directions
Step 1Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Spread the kataifi pastry on a small baking sheet, separating the strands. Toast in the oven for 15min, until golden. Remove from oven and leave to cool briefly (about 10min).
Step 2In a small bowl, beat the pistachio paste to loosen. Stir in the sesame seeds and chopped dark chocolate with a big pinch of flaked sea salt, followed by the kataifi.
Step 3Unroll puff pastry and cut into 6 equal squares, about 11cm squared. Divide the pistachio filling between the pastry squares, placing a neat dollop in the centre of each. Brush pastry edges lightly with egg white, then fold pastry over filling diagonally, from the top left to the bottom right corner, pressing gently to seal. Crimp edges with a fork.
Step 4Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Transfer turnovers to lined sheet, spacing apart. Brush tops with egg white and bake for 20min, or until golden and puffed. Remove to a wire rack.
Step 5If decorating, drizzle over the melted chocolate and sprinkle with the chopped pistachios. Serve warm or at room temperature.
You can find kataifi pastry (sometimes described as ‘shredded filo’) in the chiller cabinet in Middle Eastern grocers, or online. Alternatively, you can use 30g crumbled shredded wheat (no need to toast it first). You can also use milk or white chocolate if you want. For more chocolate inspiration, check out our best chocolate dessert recipes.
If you want to get ahead, you can make to the end of step 4 up to 1 day ahead; cool completely, then store in an airtight container. Reheat in an oven preheated to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6 for 5min, and complete recipe to serve. Alternatively, prepare to end of step 3, cover and chill the uncooked pastries for up to 1 day. Complete recipe to serve.
These also work well in the air fryer. Preheat air fryer to 180°C. Cook for 12min, or until puffed and golden. You may need to cook in batches; cover uncooked pastries and chill while you cook the first batch.
Baking recipes that are so easy, you could make them in your sleep
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
Emma is Cookery Editor for Good Housekeeping and loves nothing more than sharing her bottomless enthusiasm for all things food and drink with anyone who wants to learn (and even those who don’t!). From super simple one pan suppers to showstopping wedding cakes and everything in between, there’s very little that doesn’t come out of her kitchen. When not developing recipes, writing features or styling food for photography she can be found hiding behind the mountain of cookery books that’s slowly overtaking her house, or exploring restaurants, food shops and festivals in search of the next big thing to share with readers. On the rare days when she’s not thinking about food, you’ll find her in a cosy pub at the end of a long walk with her dog and expert food taster, Angua.
