This Summer dessert consists of 3 delicious layers. Inspired by the viral Dubai chocolate, the base is very crunchy and full of 100% pistachio paste (I use salted pistachios, but please see the notes at the end). The middle layer is a deliciously rich combination of milk & dark chocolate. The dessert is perfectly balanced thanks to the top layer, which is a berry topping made from fresh Summer berries, but frozen ones will work just as well! 🙂
This recipe makes 4 desserts
Ingredients:
Crunchy Pistachio Base:
- 200g shredded filo/kataifi
- 50g butter
- 60g white chocolate
- 1 teaspoon tahini
- 180g pistachio paste (100%*)
Chocolate mousse:
- 2 eggs – separated
- 30g caster sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 120g milk chocolate
- 80g dark chocolate
- 125g cold whipping cream
Summer Berries Coulis:
- 140g strawberries
- 100g raspberries
- 3g potato flour + 15g cold water
Decor:
- Fresh berries
- Pistachios – chopped
- Gold powder (optional)
Instructions:
Prepare 4 glasses (mine are 240ml).
Crunchy Pistachio Base:
- Prepare the kataifi/filo pastry by chopping it into smaller pieces – about 2cm long.
- Place butter in a pan and let it melt.
- Add the kataifi into the pan, toast and stir until it turns crispy and a beautiful golden-brown colour. Transfer to a big bowl and let it cool for a few minutes.
- Melt the white chocolate.
- Combine thoroughly the crispy filo, white chocolate, tahini & the 100% pistachio paste.
- Divide across the prepared glasses, even it out and press down gently with the back of the spoon. Leave aside for now.
Chocolate Mousse:
- Place the egg whites, sugar and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl or a bowl of your stand mixer and using the whisk attachment, whip on a high speed until you reach medium peaks. Make sure the bowl is clean and dry before you begin.
- Melt both chocolates in a microwave and let it cool for a few minutes.
- Pour the whipping cream into another bowl or a narrow measuring jug (if you have a hand-held blender with a whisk attachment) and whip until soft peaks.
- Place the egg yolks in another bowl and using a fork, stir a few times to break them. Add the whipped cream into the mixture in two turns and gently fold a few times using a spatula. Pour in the chocolate when it’s just a little warm and fold everything together until almost combined.
- Add the whipped egg whites into the mixture in two turns and fold until combined. Divide between the 4 glasses over the crunchy pistachio layer. Place in the fridge to let it set a little and start preparing the Summer berries topping.
Summer Berries Topping:
- Place the strawberries and raspberries in a small saucepan over a medium heat and allow to cook until you can see the fruits start to soften. Take off the heat and blend together using a hand-blender.
- Return the saucepan to the hob over a low heat.
- Place the potato starch and water in a small cup, stir well and pour into the saucepan – start stirring at the same time until the berries start to thicken slightly, it will happen very quickly. You have to be careful, if you let it cook for too long, the berries will become very thick. Pour into a bowl to allow it to cool a little.
- Take out the desserts from the fridge and divide the berries across the 4 glasses.
- Decorate with fresh berries, chopped pistachios and gold powder/leaf, if desired.
Store in the fridge. Before serving, take the desserts out of the fridge about 15 minutes before to let the base layer soften up a little.
Enjoy! 🙂
* Pistachio paste notes:
I like to use salted pistachios and I use them to make my own pistachio paste, but you may prefer to use unsalted ones. It’s so easy to make your own: place the pistachios in a pan, roast them for a few minutes and then transfer them to a food processor, add a tablespoon of neutral oil and blend until it turns into a smooth consistency. Make sure to scrape the sides every now and then and be patient. ????
In case you can’t buy/make your own pistachio paste, you can swap it for pistachio cream instead, but you might need to remove the white chocolate out of the recipe as pistachio cream is a lot sweeter than the 100% pistachio paste (no sugar at all in those). You want to make sure to use a good quality pistachio cream. The ones with sugar as the first ingredient don’t tend to be the best ones to use. You should look for the ones where they have at least 45% pistachios and they’re listed as the main ingredient! But I’d highly recommend using the 100% paste if you can.