PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — We head to Philadelphia’s Fishtown neighborhood to make a dessert that’s taken a viral chocolate bar and turned it into another trending treat – the Dubai chocolate brownie, in all of its crunchy, creamy, pistachio-packed glory.
Haraz Coffee House invites us into their kitchen for one of the most decadent bites ever.
Dubai chocolate can be seen all over TikTok.
“It’s quite a big trend these days,” says Enaas Sultan, the Head Pastry Chef at Haraz Coffee House. “It has a nutty balance from the pistachio. It’s chocolatey and it’s crunchy.”
The Dubai chocolate brownie is kind of like the viral chocolate bar, but in brownie form.
Sultan says it’s the perfect pairing for the coffee creations at Haraz, Philly’s first Yemeni coffee shop.
The Dish: Taste the coffee creations at Haraz
“The heart of what we do is we serve Yemeni coffee,” says Sultan. “It feels good to feel like we’re adding something new to the Fishtown scene, because it’s such a vibrant and exciting neighborhood.”
Yemeni’s coffee history runs deep.
“It’s the birthplace of the coffee trade that was recorded,” Sultan says.
The name Haraz is a nod to that history.
“Haraz is a mountain range in Yemen, and that’s where a lot of the coffee cultivation in Yemen happens,” she adds.
The women-led coffee house is truly a family affair. Sultan works with her mother, her aunt and a family friend.
“It’s been really special to do this with our family,” she says.
When it comes to the coffee, the pistachio latte is their best seller.
“We are combining really interesting nuts or spices with coffee, which is not very common in the United States,” says Sultan’s mother, Zehra Wamiq.
Customers are also eager to learn about the culture.
“A lot of them say that when we come here, it seems like we are transported to a different part of the world,” says Wamiq.
She also says this space is about community.
“The idea was to create a safe space with longer hours so people of all ages have a place to go that’s not a bar,” she says. “This is a space where we serve non alcoholic drinks and we have programming like game nights and other fun things.”
Dubai Chocolate Brownie recipe from Haraz Coffee House
Ingredients:
– 1 and 1/3 cups (280g) granulated sugar
– 3/4 cup (85g) all-purpose flour
– 1/3 cup (60g) cocoa powder
– 1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar, sifted
– 1/2 tsp. sea salt
– 1/2 cup (80g) chocolate chips
– 2 large eggs
– 1/2 cup neutral oil like canola or avocado
– 2 tbsp. water
– 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Kitaifi Pistachio Mix Ingredients:
– 1 cup (150g) Kataifi, toasted and shredded
– 1 and 1/2 cup (225g) pistachio paste
Chocolate Ganache ingredients:
– 1 cup (220g) heavy cream
– 1 cup (200g) chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F, oil a 9×13 inch pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. Combine granulated sugar, flour, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and sea salt in a medium-large bowl. Stir to combine and then add chocolate chips and stir to combine.
3. Crack eggs into to a small-medium bowl and whisk. Add oil, water, and vanilla extract and give everything a quick whisk to combine.
4. Add wet ingredients to the dry and fold together using a spatula until there are no dry patches, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
5. Pour brownie batter into the oiled pan and use a spatula or butter knife to spread evenly across the bottom, ensuring you get the batter to the corners.
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with only a few crumbs attached.
7. Let the brownies cool completely and remove onto a piece of parchment paper. Chill the brownies for easier handling during assembly.
8. Add toasted kataifi and pistachio paste into a bowl and mix with a spatula until the pistachio paste coats all the kataifi and no dry bits remain. Set aside.
9. Prepare ganache by using a medium sized bowl and saucepan to set up a double-boiler. Add enough water to the saucepan so it’s not touching the bowl.
10. Add chocolate chips and heavy cream to the bowl and stir with a spatula until the chocolate melts and the chocolate and cream emulsify into a shiny ganache. Remove from heat (Be careful to not overheat as the ganache can break.)
11. Assemble the Dubai chocolate brownie by adding kataifi pistachio mixture to the top of the brownies and spread in an even layer using an offset spatula, making sure to spread to the edges and pack down.
12. Add chocolate ganache on top spread in an even layer using the offset spatula.
13. Chill the assembled brownie to set the ganache before slicing and serving.
Enjoy!
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