Dubai Chocolate Tarts
Individual chocolate tarts layered with pistachio cream, crispy kataifi, and rose dark chocolate ganache.
Dubai Chocolate Tarts
A layered chocolate tart built around pistachio cream, crispy kataifi, and rose-scented dark chocolate ganache – the combination currently circulating everywhere for good reason. Four components, each straightforward on its own, but timing and temperature matter at assembly.
Equipment
- 1 Food processor
- 1 stand mixer flex edge beater attachment
- 4 tart rings individual, approx. 8–10 cm
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 2 sheets baking paper
- 1 baking tray
- 1 Piping bag rose petal piping tip (101 to 104 tip)
- 1 Small saucepan
Ingredients
Chocolate Tart Shells
- 120 g plain flour
- 25 g cocoa powder
- 60 g icing sugar
- 75 g cold butter cut into small cubes
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 pinch salt
- 10 g cold water only add if dough looks dry
Kataifi
- 100 g kataifi loosen strands gently before coating
- 30 g butter melted, for coating kataifi
Pistachio Cream
- 200 g pistachio paste
- 120 g white chocolate melted before adding to processor
- 20 g butter
- 10 g thickened cream
- kataifi room temp
Rose Dark Chocolate Ganache
- 120 g dark chocolate finely chopped
- 100 g thickened cream increase to 120g for a softer ganache, decrease to 80g for a firmer set
- 6 g rose water do not exceed 6g or it will overpower the pistachio
- 10 g butter
Topping
- 20 g crushed pistachio
- 1 handful edible rose petals
Instructions
Tart Shells
- Combine flour, cocoa powder, icing sugar and salt in a stand mixer bowl and mix well.
- Add cold butter and continue mixing until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add egg yolk and bring the dough together quickly, adding cold water only if the dough looks dry.
- Press into a disc and roll immediately between two sheets of baking paper to approximately 3mm thick. Note: You may need to roll two sheets for dough, depending on the space in your freezer.
- Lay the rolled sheets of dough flat in freezer for 10 minutes to firm.
- Line four tart rings and trim the edges flush. As you work through lining the dough, keep them firm, placing the lined tart rings into the freezer as needed.
- Line the tarts with baking paper and baking weights.
- Bake at 170°C for 15 minutes.
- Remove tarts from the over and remove the baking weights and baking paper.
- Check the edges; if they need further crisping, bake for another 5 minutes until crisp.
- Cool for at least 5 minutes before filling.
Kataifi Crisps
- Loosen the kataifi strands gently to separate them before handling.
- Cut the kataifi into 1cm strands.
- Coat evenly with melted butter.
- Spread in a thin, even layer on a lined baking tray.
- Bake at 180°C for 10–12 minutes until fully golden.
- Note: Underbaked kataifi will soften inside the tart – it must reach full golden colour.
Pistachio Cream
- Melt white chocolate while the tart shells bake.
- Add pistachio paste, melted white chocolate, butter and cream to a food processor.
- Blend until glossy and completely smooth.
- Mix toasted kataifi with pistachio paste.
Rose Dark Chocolate Ganache
- Finely chop the dark chocolate and place in a heatproof bowl.
- Heat cream in a small saucepan until steaming but not boiling.
- Pour hot cream over the chocolate and rest for 1 minute without stirring.
- Stir from the centre outward until fully smooth and glossy.
- Add rose water and butter, stirring until the butter melts and the ganache is uniform.
- Allow ganache to cool and transfer to piping bag.
Assembly and Finish
- Spread a 5mm even layer of kataifi pistachio cream into each cooled tart shell.
- Pipe rose ganache over the kataifi pistachio cream layer with a rose petal tip (101 – 104 tip) so that it forms ribbons across the tart.
- Chill for 10–15 minutes to set.
- Finish with crushed pistachio and edible rose petals and present immediately.
Notes
Storage
- Best eaten the day they are assembled.
- The kataifi will soften overnight in the fridge, so assemble as close to serving as possible.
- Tart shells can be baked ahead and stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Pistachio cream and ganache can be made a day ahead and gently rewarmed before use.
Key pitfalls:
- Freeze the tart shells before baking – skipping this step causes the edges to slump and the shell to lose its shape
- Kataifi must be baked to full golden colour; if it looks pale it will turn soggy inside the tart within minutes of assembly
- Rose water must not exceed 6g or it will dominate and the pistachio flavour will disappear
