Pistachio Kunafa Cookies (Dubai Chocolate Cookies)
The first bite is soft and buttery, but as you sink your teeth in, you’re met with the signature "crackle" of toasted Kunafa pastry
- Prep time
- 1 hr
- Cook time
- 15 min
- Yield
- 50 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 110 g Unsalted Butter
- 110 g Unsalted Butter
- 60 g Light Brown Sugar
- 60 g Light Brown Sugar
- 60 g Sugar
- 60 g Sugar
- 1 Egg (60g with shell)
- 1 Egg (60g with shell)
- 180 g All-Purpose Flour
- 180 g All-Purpose Flour
- 20 g Cornstarch
- 20 g Cornstarch
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 0.5 tsp Salt
- 0 .5 tsp Salt
- 30 g Ground Pistachio
- 30 g Ground Pistachio
- 25 g Kunafa Dough
- 25 g Kunafa Dough
- 20 g Unsalted Butter
- 20 g Unsalted Butter
- 60 g Pistachio Paste
- 60 g Pistachio Paste
- 80 g Milk Chocolate Coins
- 80 g Milk Chocolate Coins
- 5 g Coconut Oil
- 5 g Coconut Oil
Instructions
- 1
Melt the unsalted butter in a hot pan, then let it cool.
- 2
Once the butter has cooled, crack in the eggs and mix well.
- 3
Add the sugar and light brown sugar, and mix well.
- 4
Mix the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and baking powder together.
- 5
Sift the dry ingredients into the mixture.
- 6
Add the salt and ground pistachio, and knead all the ingredients together to form a dough.
- 7
Flatten the dough, wrap it in plastic wrap, and freeze for 30 minutes.
- 8
Once the dough has hardened, remove it and divide it into small portions, each about 10 grams (you can use a half-teaspoon measuring spoon).
- 9
Place the small balls on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and refrigerate. The number of balls to bake depends on the size of your oven. Refrigerate any leftover dough if using it on the same day, and freeze if using it the next day. Thaw slightly before use.
- 10
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
- 11
Once the temperature reaches 180 degrees Celsius, remove the baking tray from the refrigerator and place it directly into the oven. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 10-12 minutes using both top and bottom heat. Adjust the temperature & time slightly according to your oven; bake until cooked through.
- 12
Remove from the oven immediately after baking and use a measuring spoon to press indentations into the surface. Be careful with the pressure; if the cookies are too hard, they may crack when pressed.
- 13
Let them cool completely after pressing.
- 14
To make the kunafa filling, melt the unsalted butter in a saucepan.
- 15
Cut the kunafa dough into small pieces and place them in a saucepan. Cook over low heat until golden brown and crispy. Remove from the pan and let cool.
- 16
Once completely cooled, add pistachio paste and mix well. Refrigerate. Slightly setting the filling will make it easier to distribute and fill.
- 17
After the cookies have cooled completely, fill the indentations with an appropriate amount of kunafa filling.
- 18
Melt the milk chocolate coins in coconut oil using a double boiler.
- 19
Pour the melted chocolate over the cookies, completely sealing the Kunafa filling.
- 20
While the chocolate is still slightly sticky, sprinkle with ground pistachio and garnish with half a pistachio. Once completely set, store in a box.