Dubai Brownies

Have you heard about the craze surrounding Dubai Chocolate? About a month ago, my 11 year old informed me that we HAD to get some. Not one to turn down chocolate, I shopped around (sticker shock!) & ended up buying Crumbl’s Dubai Brownie. Because I am who I am, I decided that I could probably figure out how to make them on my own. Overconfident? Perhaps. The brownie base is a classic brownie layer (easy!), topped with a crunchy filo dough & creamy pistachio filling mixture. Ganache and extra pistachios are the finishing touch. It’s like nothing I’d ever tasted before! Sweet, luxurious, and a whole sensory experience with its crunch and rich flavors.

Was it cheaper than store bought? Yes, but it is still a pricey brownie to make & labor intensive. It’s definitely something special and worth the try though! And hey, I impressed my kids! (Also, it was between this and her request for 6-7 cookies. Six sevvvvven. I. Do. Not. Understand.) 

Dubai Brownies

A rich & sensory-filled brownie, a luxurious treat filled with crunchy filo and pistachios, surrounded by chocolatey goodness.

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Servings: 16

Course: Dessert

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

Brownie

• 8 oz Unsalted butter (2 sticks)
• 6 oz Brown sugar (a little over 3/4 cup)
• 6 oz White sugar (a little over 3/4 cup)
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 3 Eggs
• 1 Egg yolk
• 8 oz Dark or semisweet chocolate (1 cup)
• 3 oz Cocoa powder, sifted (about 3/4 cup, sifted)
• 3 oz Flour, sifted (about 3/4 cup, sifted)

Pistachio Cream

• 5.25 oz Shelled, unsalted pistachios (1 heaping cup)
• 6 oz Whole milk (about 3/4 cup)
• 1 oz Unsalted butter (2 Tbsp)
• 3.5 oz White chocolate (about 1 cup)
• 1 tbsp Powdered sugar

Pistachio Cream & Filo Mixture

• 1 recipe Pistachio Cream
• 1/2 roll Filo Dough, thawed (About 9 sheets or 4 oz.)
• 2 tbsp Melted unsalted butter
• 5 oz. Pistachio kernels (about 1 cup)
• 1/4 tsp Salt

Ganache Topping

• 4 oz Heavy Whipping Cream (about 1/2 cup)
• 8.5 oz Dark Chocolate (about 1 cup)
• 2 tbsp Honey

Method

 

Brownies

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13" pan with parchment paper.
2. Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl. Stir in the brown sugar, white sugar, & salt until you have a smooth paste.
3. Add vanilla, the eggs, and egg yolk. Whisk or use a hand mixer until the mixture becomes pale in color, about 2 minutes.
4. Sift the flour & cocoa powder together. Add this to the wet ingredients. Fold until just combined.
5. Fold in the chocolate.
6. Bake for around 30 minutes, until the center is set. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Pistachio Cream

1. If your pistachios have a lot of dark skins on the outside, boil for 5 minutes, remove, and rub the pistachios between a clean kitchen towel to help remove the outer skin.
2. Place the pistachios in a food processor with the powdered sugar & half of your whole milk (3 oz.). Pulse for a couple of minutes, until a smooth paste forms, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go.
3. Add the remaining milk, butter, and white chocolate to a microwave safe bowl to melt in 30 second increments.
4. Add the melted white chocolate mixture to the pistachio paste in your food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add more milk if it is too thick. This will keep in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Pistachio Cream & Filo Layer

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Use 1/2 of a filo dough roll (a typical package is two rolls, totally 16 oz. So use 4 oz. of filo dough or 9 sheets). Cut into a few pieces and brush melted butter on to each. Place on baking sheets (you'll probably need 2) and bake for around 5 minutes, until golden and crispy. Once cooled, Crush into smaller pieces.
3. Pulse your pistachios into a fine crumb. Set aside 2 tbsp. for your topping.
4. In a large bowl, stir together you pistachio cream, pistachio crumbs, filo dough, & salt.
5. Spread this topping over your cooled brownies.

Ganache Topping

1. Combine ingredients for ganache in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute & then let sit for another minute. Stir until smooth & glossy.
2. Pour ganache over topped brownies. Sprinkle with extra pistachios.
3. Chill the brownies in the fridge before cutting. Store leftover brownies in the fridge. Enjoy!

Having a food scale simplifies following this recipe (and creates less of a mess), here’s the food scale that I have been using for many years:

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