Dubai Chocolate Pistachio Tart
Inspired by the viral hit of Dubai chocolate - this Chocolate Pistachio Tart is the perfect dessert centerpiece for any occasion! Decadent layers of chocolate tart, crunchy Dubai-style pistachio kataifi filling and rich ganache with more pistachios on top for good measure.
Ingredients
Ingredients for Crust
- 1¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder Dutch processed
- 2 tablespoon light brown sugar or muscovado, firmly packed measurements
- pinch salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter cold, unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 1 tablespoon instant coffee see note
- ½ cup water this needs to be cold - either well chilled or with some ice (see note)
Ingredients for Chocolate Base Layer
- ¾ cup heavy cream sometimes called double cream or whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 oz dark chocolate chips or solid chocolate chopped finely - you can also use semi-sweet or milk chocolate here, but I find dark chocolate (approximately 72% cocoa solids) my favorite combination
- 1 tablespoon superfine granulated sugar or caster sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg ideally at room temperature, lightly beaten
Ingredients for Pistachio Kataifi Layer
- 3 cups dried kataifi pastry measurements don't need to be precise - I used generous cup measures
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup pistachio paste you want a smooth and creamy pistachio paste for this recipe - you can make your own using my Homemade Pistachio Paste recipe
Ingredients for Ganache Topping
- ¼ cup heavy cream also known as double cream or whipping cream
- 2 oz dark chocolate chips or solid chocolate finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- handful chopped pistachios unsalted, shelled and roughly chopped
Instructions
Instructions for the Crust
- Start by mixing together your instant coffee with your cool water. Stir until dissolved and then place in the refrigerator to chill thoroughly while you prep your dough.1 tablespoon instant coffee, ½ cup water
- Next mix together your dry ingredients - the flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar and salt. Cut in your cold butter. Using your hands rub this into the dry ingredients until you have a coarse sandy texture - your goal isn't to break down all of your butter - bits of butter contribute to the flakey texture.1¼ cup all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoon cocoa powder, 2 tablespoon light brown sugar, pinch salt, ½ cup unsalted butter
- Slowly add your cool coffee into the dough mixture, starting with ¼ cup. Gently mix with your hands until it comes together into a dough. Avoid overadding water and overworking the dough as this can make for a stiffer, less flakey crust. You may find that you do not need all of the coffee or need to add a little more cold water depending on various conditions (like humidity or temperature in your kitchen).
- Once you've brought your dough together into a ball, wrap this with plastic wrap and gently flatten into a disc. Place this in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours.
- After 2 hours, pre-heat your oven to 350℉ (175C/155C Fan). Unwrap your dough and place on a work surface, lightly dusted with cocoa powder. The cocoa powder will act like flour for rolling out the chocolate crust. Roll out to a circle approximately ¼" thick. Use this to line your pie plate and then use a fork to prick your dough all over the bottom and sides.
- Use a scrunched up piece of parchment paper to line the inside of the crust and fill with baking beans or rice to blind bake. Place in the center of your preheated oven to bake for about 30 minutes. Then remove your weighted parchment filling and bake for a further 5-10 minutes until the crust appears dry.
- Remove from the oven and set aside while you prepare the filling.
Instructions for the Chocolate Base
- Reduce your oven temperature to 325℉ (165C/145C Fan).
- In a medium saucepan, heat the cream and vanilla gently over a medium heat until simmering (about 10 minutes).¾ cup heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Remove from the heat and add the dark chocolate, sugar and salt. Stir until combined and smooth.4 oz dark chocolate chips, 1 tablespoon superfine granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Lightly beat the egg in a small bowl before adding this to the chocolate mixture and whisking to combine.1 large egg
- Pour the mixture into your prepared tart shell, spreading smoothly. Place this in the oven and bake for about 12 minutes until set. Remove from the oven and set aside while you prepare the toppings.
Instructions for Pistachio Kataifi Filling
- In a large frying pan, melt the butter over a medium heat and then add the kataifi pastry. Stir occasionally to toast the kataifi until golden and nutty in aroma. This takes about 15-20 minutes slowly toasting - times will vary depending on the heat settings of your stovetop and your pan.3 tablespoon unsalted butter, 3 cups dried kataifi pastry
- Once toasted, remove from the heat and add the pistachio paste and salt, mixing to combine.1 cup pistachio paste, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Spoon the filling over the chocolate base layer of your tart. Carefully spread evenly and set aside while you make the ganache.
Instructions for Ganache and Topping
- In a small saucepan, heat your cream and vanilla paste over medium heat until simmering (about 10 minutes), then pour this over your chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl. Let this sit for about 2 minutes before stirring smooth.¼ cup heavy cream, 2 oz dark chocolate chips, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- Pour this onto your pistachio filling and use a spoon or spatula to gently nudge over the filling in a thin ganache layer.
- Finish off by sprinkling with chopped pistachios.handful chopped pistachios
Notes
Notes for Crust
- If you don't wish to use coffee in your crust, you can simply leave this out. The coffee acts to accentuate the flavor of the chocolate, but it isn't fundamental to the crust turning out! Just use plain cold water here - no need to mix in instant coffee and chill.
- The amount of water you need will be determined by many conditions - such as the temperature in your kitchen, humidity and broader weather conditions on the day, different brands of ingredients, elevation, etc. Add about a quarter cup and then mix. Add additional water slowly kneading gently with your hands to come together in a dough. You want to avoid overworking the dough, but also over-adding the water. You may find you don't need all the water called for here, but equally you may find you need a touch more to bring it all together.
Nutrition
Calories: 540kcalCarbohydrates: 56gProtein: 10gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 64mgSodium: 364mgPotassium: 308mgFiber: 3gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 663IUVitamin C: 0.5mgCalcium: 84mgIron: 3mg
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