Dubai Chocolate Brownies with Berries

These dubai chocolate brownies comes to you after many dubai chocolate escapades and creations. I’ve mentioned a few times wanting to do a dubai chocolate brownie. I ummed and ahhed for a while over it, wanting to find a way to give it a twist that was mine but not quite finding it. I made us a dubai chocolate cookie recipe but kept coming back to the brownie idea. 

When berry season rolled around and I thought of the popular strawberry dubai chocolate dish (a cup of fresh strawberries mixed with pistachio cream, toasted kataifi and chocolate sauce) I knew what I wanted to do; a strawberry dubai chocolate brownie! 

Except, I tend to prefer raspberries so I used those ;p You do strawberries if you like though! 

Recipe Origins 

I used a modified version of my cocoa powder brownies to make these dubai chocolate brownies: because I was adding the pistachio kataifi filling, I reduced it by about 25%. 

Sometimes I add finely chopped chocolate to my brownies, especially when I’m going for that shiny crinkle brownie top; but since I have the thick layer of ganache on top of these brownies I skipped it. If for some reason you do not want to have a ganache and plan to serve the brownies without the berries or with just berries, but you want more of a melted chocolate element, add about 100-150g finely chopped chocolate to the batter (with the flour). 

Recipe Ingredients 

Kataifi: sometimes called shredded phyllo, this is the pastry used to make Kunafa – a palestinian dessert made with kataifi, cheese and a syrup. Find this in middle eastern grocery stores. 

Pistachio Cream: a paste made from pistachios, sugar, and some sort of added fat (sometimes milk powder is an ingredient too). I used the brand Pisti.

Tahini:  just a bit, and if you don’t have it you can leave it out. 

Butter: unsalted butter. If using salted butter, adjust the salt added to the brownie batter. 

Sugar: fine granulated sugar. Reducing the sugar in the brownies will compromise the fudgy texture. 

Cocoa: dutch process cocoa gives a richer, fuller chocolate flavor. 

Eggs: whole large eggs.

Salt: fine sea salt. If using table salt, halve the amount added. 

Vanilla: pure vanilla extract. 

Flour: all purpose flour. If you are making these gluten free, use a gluten free 1 to 1 substitute. 

Heavy cream: or heavy whipping cream. 

Chocolate: semi-sweet or dark chocolate, depending on your preference. Don’t use anything lower than 55% cocoa solids or the ganache will be too soft. 

Berries: I used raspberries (my preference with chocolate) but the strawberry dubai chocolate dessert is the inspiration behind these brownies, so use those if you prefer! 

How to Make Dubai Chocolate Brownies

First, the kataifi 

Because it takes a while to cook and needs to chill before using, toast the kataifi first. 

Kataifi is easier to chop while it’s frozen so I do that first. Then set a tablespoon of butter in a large non-stick skillet and once it melts, add the kataifi. 

You need to stir it often as it needs to brown evenly, so keep it over a medium low heat and come back to it every two minutes or so. It’s slow to start browning but once it does you want to stay close to it. 

Once it’s all browned, transfer to a heatproof bowl and let it cool. We’ll make the rest of the filling later. 

Second, the brownie batter 

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease then line an 8 inch or a 9 inch metal square pan with parchment paper (two overlapping sheets, so they cover all sides of the pan). 

Set the butter in a heatproof bowl (one that can go into the microwave) and briefly melt it. 

Pour the sugar over the butter and set it back in the microwave, this time to fully melt. 

Whisk very well, we’re trying to get many of the sugar granules to melt into the hot butter. 

Add the cocoa and whisk to combine. Set the mixture back in the microwave to heat, another 30 seconds. 

Whisk vigorously – you’ll notice that the brownie batter starts to clump around the whisk. 

Add the salt and vanilla, then the first egg: as you whisk the batter will begin to loosen again. 

Whisk the other eggs in, one by one, vigorously. 

Add the flour and stir to just combine. 

Build the brownie 

Pour two thirds of the brownie batter into the prepared pan. 

Mix the toasted kataifi with the pistachio cream, tahini and a pinch of salt. 

Dollop, in small bits, the pistachio filling around the pan trying to disperse it so every slice will get some dubai chocolate. 

Pour the remaining brownie batter over the top and gently tilt the pan so the layer is even. 

Bake the brownies until the center is puffed and when you jiggle it it doesn’t wobble with liquid in the middle, for about 30-40 minutes. Let cool completely before making the ganache. 

Make the berry ganache 

If using strawberries, slice them. My suggestion would be to slice them then so you can layer them on top (rather like the inside of an apple pie) but you can do this however you like. 

Chop the chocolate into small bits and set it in a heatproof bowl. Sometimes I stick this in the microwave for 30 seconds, to help the chocolate get on its way to melting. 

Warm the heavy cream, either in the microwave or in a pot, until it’s bubbling at the sides and steaming (if you stick your finger in it it should be too hot to be comfortable). 

Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate then briefly stir and set aside for a minute. This will help the chocolate begin to melt without agitation. 

Stir the mix until the ganache is smooth. 

Pour a thin layer of ganache over the cooled brownies, this will help the berries stick. 

Arrange the berries on top of the ganache, then pour the remaining ganache on top. Smooth into an even layer and if you like, sprinkle with finely chopped pistachios. 

Chill the brownies until the ganache is set, about an hour. 

Brownies are best the day of but are still great the next day (these photos were taken the day after baking). 
Store in an airtight container in the fridge. 

Dubai Chocolate Brownies Recipe

Dubai Chocolate Brownies

Fudgy and rich chocolate brownies interspersed with dubai chocolate’s pistachio cream and crispy kataifi filling.

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Chill Time: 2 hours hrs

Yields: 16 tall, thick brownies

5 from 1 vote

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Ingredients

Crispy Pistachio Filling

• 100g kataifi
• 200g pistachio cream
• 2 tablespoons tahini

Brownie Batter

• 170g or ¾ cup unsalted butter cold is fine
• 300g or 1 ½ cups fine granulated sugar
• 55g or ½ cup dutch process cocoa
• 3 large eggs
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1-2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 45g or ⅓ cup all purpose flour

Berry Chocolate Ganache

• 200g semi-sweet chocolate
• 215g heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
• Dash of pure vanilla extract
• Berries: whole raspberries or sliced strawberries

Method

Make the filling

• Chop up the kataifi until it’s in ½-1 inch pieces. Set a tablespoon of butter in a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Once it melts, add the kataifi. Cook it until it browns all over, stirring frequently for even browning. This can take up to 15 minutes. Once browned, transfer to a heat safe bowl and let cool. We’ll add the remaining filling ingredients later.

Make the brownie batter

• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 8 or 9 inch baking pan with parchment paper, overlaying two sheets so all sides of the pan are covered.
• Set the butter in a heatproof bowl and warm it for 30 seconds in the microwave so it begins to melt. Pour the sugar over the butter then set the bowl back in the microwave for 60 seconds, until the butter fully melts. Whisk very well, until the mix is shiny.
• Add the cocoa to the bowl and whisk. Set the bowl back in the microwave for another 30 seconds and then whisk until it starts to clump together. Add the salt and vanilla and one egg and whisk vigorously. Once incorporated add the other egg, whisk, then the last egg and whisk very well.
• Add the flour and stir to combine. Pour about two thirds of the brownie mixture into the prepared pan.
• Into the bowl with the toasted kataifi, add the pistachio cream, tahini, and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine. Dollop this mixture into the pan; it will sink and does not spread once in the pan so use smaller dollops to try to disperse it all over so every slice will have some filling.
• Pour the remaining brownie batter into the pan, covering all the kataifi filling. Bake the brownies until the center puffs up and when you wiggle the pan there is no visible liquid wobble in the center; for about 30-35 minutes. Let cool completely.

Make the ganache

• Chop the chocolate into bits that are about a square centimeter and set in a bowl. Warm the heavy cream until it’s steaming, too hot to comfortably touch. Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate and stir briefly, then set aside for a minute or two. Then stir until the ganache is smooth; add a dash of vanilla if you like.
• Pour a thin layer of ganache over the cooled brownies, this will help the berries stick to the brownies. Arrange the berries on top, if using whole raspberries arrange them face down and quite close together (see photos). If using strawberries, slice and spread them into an even layer. Pour the remaining ganache on top and smooth into an even layer. Optional: sprinkle finely chopped pistachios on top. Set the brownies in the fridge to chill until the ganache is set, about an hour.
• The brownies are best within 24 hours of making the ganache (due to the presence of berries in the dish). Store in the fridge in an airtight container.

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