Dubai Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

• ⅔ cup pistachio cream
• ⅔ cup toasted kataifi
• ½ cup unsalted butter (cut into pieces)
• ¼ cup natural cocoa powder
• 1 Tablespoons avocado oil ((or canola/vegetable oil))
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup light brown sugar (firmly packed)
• 1 large eggs (room temperature preferred)
• ¾ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 ¾ cups cake flour ((see note))
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon table salt
• ⅓ cup couverture or semisweet chocolate (melted, for drizzling)
• 2 Tablespoons roasted, salted pistachios (for topping)

Steps

1. 1

   Stir together pistachio cream and kataifi until well-combined. Scoop by 1 Tablespoon-sized scoop (17g) onto a small baking sheet lined with wax paper. Transfer to freezer to freeze and solidify while you prepare the cookie dough.

2. 2

   Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

3. 3

   Melt butter in a large, microwave-safe bowl. Add cocoa powder and oil and stir well.

4. 4

   Feel the butter mixture and the bottom of the bowl, if either feels warm at all, let it rest until it no longer feels warm to the touch before proceeding.

5. 5

   Once butter mixture is cooled, add sugars, eggs, and vanilla extract and stir well.

6. 6

   In a separate, medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Once well-combined, gradually add to the butter mixture (I usually add in 4 parts), stirring until completely combined.

7. 7

   Check your filling in the freezer and make sure that it’s firm and easy to pick up. If it is, proceed.

8. 8

   Scoop the dough into 2 ½Tablespoon-sized (about 48g) scoops. Roll into a smooth ball and use your thumb to form an indent in the center of the dough. Remove a ball of filling from the freezer and nestle into the center of the dough and wrap the dough around it to center it.

9. 9

   Place cookie dough balls on prepared baking sheet, spacing at least 2” (5cm) apart. Transfer to center rack of 350F (175C) preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and if cookies haven’t flattened, immediately use the clean bottom of a large measuring cup to gently flatten each cookie. Allow cookies to cool completely on baking sheet before removing and enjoying (they’re very fragile when warm and may fall apart if moved to soon!).

10. 10

    Once cooled, drizzle with melted chocolate and top with crushed pistachios. Allow chocolate to harden before serving.