Dubai Chocolate Bar

It’s not surprising to me that the Dubai chocolate bar went viral. After I saw someone break one open on camera and heard that crispy crunch of the filling, I had full-blown cartoon heart eyes. It just looked SO airy yet rich — almost fluffy in texture. I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

At first, I wasn’t ready to commit to making a homemade version, as I didn’t own any silicone molds. I decided to try a freeform version instead: I toasted chopped kataifi (thin, vermicelli-like strands of fresh pastry dough) in a pan with butter until golden-brown and crispy, then tossed it in a bowl with pistachio butter, tahini halva, and a little salt for balance. I spread it between two layers of chocolate bark, and it was even better than I could have imagined. The pistachio butter was so rich and creamy, but the shatteringly crispy kataifi formed little haystack-like pockets of air. This created a fluffy, airy texture and gave that signature crunch. 

After the first bite, I knew I needed to commit to making the real thing. I bought a candy bar mold (luckily they aren’t very expensive) and got to work making my new dream chocolate bar. This Dubai chocolate bar is impossibly crunchy, balanced, and full of pistachio flavor — and I can make it at home with ease. If anything is better than that, please don’t tell me because quite frankly I just couldn’t handle it!

• Balanced flavor. A little tahini and salt go a long way to give this filling a more balanced flavor than you’ll taste in many store-bought bars.
• The crunchiest chocolate bar ever. Buttery toasted kataifi pastry dough maintains a crispy, airy texture even when coated in pistachio butter for a satisfying texture in every bite.

• Milk chocolate: There is a lot of prominent chocolate flavor in this bar, so it’s worth using a high-quality brand. I used Callebaut milk chocolate chips to develop this recipe (and I used Guittard white chocolate chips for the drizzle).
• Kataifi pastry dough: You might have to seek out a specialty grocery store to find these strands of fresh refrigerated or frozen pastry dough (they’ll be by the phyllo packages). If you can’t find it, you can substitute dried kataifi, which is available online.
• Pistachio butter: This is much sweeter than other nut butters — more like a pistachio-flavored Nutella spread. The green hue will vary brand to brand, which will impact the color of the filling.
• Tahini (sesame paste): The nutty, savory flavor helps to balance the sweetness of the pistachio butter and milk chocolate.
• Food coloring: While optional, you can use green food coloring to tint the white chocolate drizzle to match the pistachio filling.

1. Toast the kataifi. Toast coarsely chopped kataifi pastry dough in butter on the stovetop until golden-brown and crispy, then transfer to a bowl. Stir in creamy pistachio butter, tahini, and salt.
2. Melt the white chocolate. Fill a saucepan halfway with water and bring to a simmer. Set a heatproof bowl over the simmering water to create a double boiler and add the white chocolate chips. Cook, stirring constantly, until completely melted. Carefully remove the bowl from the double boiler. Stir in green food coloring, then drizzle over the bottom of a chocolate mold to create an irregular pattern. Refrigerate the molds while you melt the milk chocolate.
3. Melt the milk chocolate. Set the same bowl back over the water. Add milk chocolate chips and butter to the bowl. Heat, stirring constantly, until completely melted. Spread just enough of the melted chocolate to coat the bottom and sides of the mold in a thin, even layer. Freeze until set.
4. Fill the chocolate bars. Add the pistachio cream mixture to the chocolate mold and use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to gently spread and press the filling into an even layer. Pour the remaining melted chocolate over the top and spread into an even layer to fill the mold. Using a bench scraper or offset spatula, lightly scrape over the top to level and remove excess chocolate.
5. Finish the chocolate bars. Refrigerate until completely set. Remove the bar from the mold and trim off any overhanging chocolate with a knife if desired.

• Use ruby chocolate instead of white chocolate to make a pink design on the top. Do not add green food coloring.
• Replace the milk chocolate with a high-quality dark chocolate.

Refrigerate the bars in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks. 

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