Ideas

What to Do With Dubai Chocolate

Morning

Yogurt Bowl

A heaped spoonful over thick Greek yogurt, spooned on top and not stirred in. Yogurt is thick enough that the kataifi never softens, which is the whole reason this one works.

Kataifi Oatmeal

Cook the oats, take the pan off the heat, then stir a spoonful through. Off the heat matters: boiling liquid softens the pastry and you lose the texture.

The Moosh Latte

A teaspoon in the bottom of the cup, espresso pulled straight over it, stir once, then steamed milk. The pistachio comes through the coffee rather than sitting under it.

Filled Croissant

Split a day-old croissant, spoon inside, ninety seconds in a warm oven. Use the oven, not the microwave, which steams it and takes the crunch out.

Overnight Oats

A spoonful layered between the oats and milk the night before, then a fresh one on top in the morning. The first flavours it, the second keeps the crunch.

Pancakes and Waffles

Between the layers rather than on top. Residual heat melts it into ribbons through the stack instead of leaving a cold lump on the surface.

On Toast

Thick sourdough, toasted dark, spread while the bread is still warm. Warm enough to spread easily, not so hot that it goes to liquid.

Stuffed French Toast

A spoonful sandwiched between two slices before they go in the egg. The filling holds its shape through the pan instead of leaking out.

Chia Pudding

Stir it in after the pudding has set, not before. Added early, the chia pulls moisture out of the filling and softens the pastry overnight.

Snack

Dubai Chocolate Strawberries

Halve the strawberries, spoon on, eat straight away. The one everybody makes first: cold fruit against roasted pistachio and crisp pastry.

Pretzel Dip

Straight from the jar with salted pretzels. Salt against roasted pistachio is the pairing people are surprised by, and the one they come back to.

Apple Slices

Green apple has the acidity to cut the sweetness, which is why it works better here than a softer fruit. Crisp against crisp.

Straight From the Jar

Worth saying, because it is what most people do the first time. No preparation, and the texture is at its best before anything is done to it.

Stuffed Dates

Medjool dates, pitted and filled. Dates and pistachio have been paired for centuries, and the kataifi is the only new part of it.

Banana Boat

Split a banana lengthways and run a spoonful down the middle. Soft, sweet fruit is the easiest base there is for this.

Rice Cakes

A neutral, crunchy base that gets out of the way entirely. The lightest version of this on the list.

Graham Cracker Sandwich

Two crackers, a spoonful between them, pressed together. The closest thing to a s’more you can make without a fire.

Popcorn Drizzle

Warm it ten seconds so it runs, then drizzle over hot salted popcorn and toss. Salt, butter and pistachio together.

Dessert

Homemade Dubai Chocolate Bars

Brush melted chocolate into a bar mould, chill until set, spoon the filling in and level it, cap with more chocolate, chill again, break. The filling is already mixed and toasted, so the only work left is the shell.

Over Ice Cream

Ten seconds in the microwave so it loosens, then ribbon it over. Any longer and it goes runny. Safest over vanilla, best over pistachio gelato.

Stuffed Cookies

Freeze spoonfuls on a tray for an hour, wrap cookie dough around each frozen disc, bake. Freezing first is what stops it leaking out in the oven.

Cheesecake Swirl

Fold through the batter with two or three passes only, just before it goes in. Over-mixing costs you both the marbling and the crunch.

Filled Donuts

Pipe straight from the jar with a long nozzle. No thinning and no warming needed, which most fillings do require.

Crepes

Spread thin while the crepe is still warm, fold twice. Thin is the point; a thick layer turns breakfast into dessert.

Brownie Layer

Spread over cooled brownies, then pour melted chocolate on top and chill until it sets. Cooled, not warm, or the first layer sinks in.

Chocolate Bark

Melted chocolate spread thin on a tray, spoonfuls dropped across it and dragged through with a knife, chilled and snapped.

Milkshake

Two spoonfuls blended into vanilla ice cream and milk. The kataifi breaks down in the blender, so it thickens the shake rather than staying crisp.