Description
These Dubai Chocolate Balls are rich, crunchy, and filled with pistachio flavor inside a crisp chocolate shell. They look impressive but are surprisingly simple to make at home. Perfect for parties, gifts, or when you want a small, fancy treat without complicated baking.
Ingredients
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7 oz (200 g) kataifi pastry (shredded phyllo), thawed
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⅓ cup (75 g) unsalted butter, melted
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5 oz (150 g) white chocolate, chopped
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5 oz (150 g) pistachio butter (or very finely blended pistachios)
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Pinch of salt
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1–2 tsp neutral oil (only if pistachio butter is very thick)
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14 oz (400 g) dark chocolate (55–65%), chopped
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3 tbsp chopped pistachios (for garnish)
Instructions
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Bake the kataifi
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Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
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Loosen pastry strands and toss with melted butter.
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Spread on a baking sheet and bake 12–15 minutes until evenly golden, stirring once halfway.
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Cool completely, then roughly chop.
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Make the filling
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Melt white chocolate gently (microwave in short bursts, stirring).
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Stir in pistachio butter and salt until smooth.
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Add a little oil if mixture is too thick.
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Add crunch
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Fold chopped baked kataifi into the pistachio mixture.
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Shape
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Scoop and roll into walnut-size balls with lightly oiled hands.
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Place on a lined tray and chill 30 minutes.
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Coat in chocolate
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Melt ⅔ of the dark chocolate.
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Remove from heat and stir in remaining ⅓ until smooth (helps texture and shine).
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Dip each chilled ball, let excess drip off, and return to tray.
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Garnish & set
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Sprinkle chopped pistachios on top while coating is wet.
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Let set at room temp, then refrigerate to firm.
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Notes
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Keep kataifi frozen until ready so it doesn’t dry out.
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Bake kataifi in a thin layer for even crispness.
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Cool the crunch fully before mixing — warm pastry makes the filling too soft.
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Chill balls before dipping so coating is neat and easy.
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Use chocolate you enjoy eating — flavor really shows here.