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Pistachio Kunafa Chocolate Cookies Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.3 from 26 reviews
  • Author: Emma
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Yield: 10-12 cookies 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Middle Eastern
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

These Pistachio Kunafa Chocolate Cookies combine the crunchy texture of roasted kunafa pastry with rich pistachio spread, enveloped in a luscious brown butter chocolate cookie dough, creating a delightful and unique dessert treat.

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the Pistachio Kunafa Filling

  • 1 cup (90gm) kunafa pastry
  • 1 Tbsp butter or ghee, for roasting kunafa dough
  • 3/4 cup (200gm) pistachio spread
  • 2 Tbsp Tahini (optional)

For the Cookie Dough

  • 114gm unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon espresso/ instant coffee powder
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 egg, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup milk or semi-sweet, chocolate chunks

Instructions

  1. Make the Pistachio Kunafa Filling and make balls out of it: Shred the Kunafa pastry either in a food processor or using a pair of scissors into approximately 1-2cms in length. In a large frying pan, add in butter or ghee and once it is melted, add in the shredded kunafa. Keep stirring until it gets a beautifully roasted golden-brown colour. Remove from heat, let it cool and then transfer to a mixing bowl.
  2. Add the pistachio spread and Tahini into the bowl with kunafa: Stir well using a large spoon or spatula and then refrigerate for 10 minutes for it to slightly solidify.
  3. Then, you can divide the pistachio kunafa filling into 10-12 equal sized balls, place them on a tray lined with parchment paper: I make the balls using my hands which can be a little messy, you can use a small cookie scooper for this step as well. Freeze the balls for atleast 15mins or until you’re ready with the cookie dough.
  4. Prepare the rich, brown butter Cookie Dough: In a small heavy bottomed saucepan, add in your butter on medium heat. Using a spatula or a whisk, stir constantly until the butter is melted, starts to foam and eventually turns into a light golden brown colour. Immediately, remove from heat and transfer to a mixing bowl.
  5. Let the browned butter cool for around 10mins and then add in espresso powder: Follow by mixing in brown sugar, whisk until the sugar dissolves well into the butter and add vanilla extract and egg. Whisk well for a minute or two.
  6. Sift in cocoa powder, flour, baking soda and salt: Using a spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet batter until no streaks of flour remain.
  7. Make the Cookie balls. Bake and serve! Remove the Pistachio Kunafa balls from the freezer. Cover the balls with a layer of cookie dough, ensuring the filling is not visible from the outside and it is evenly covered. Continue until all the Pistachio Kunafa balls are covered with cookie dough, without any leftovers. Top it up with chocolate chunks.
  8. Bake in a pre-heated 180°C (350°F) oven for about 10 minutes on the lower-middle rack: These cookies are going to be quite soft just out of the oven so give it time to cool properly for atleast 20-25mins before you dive in. For an enhanced look, drizzle up melted pistachio spread, serve and enjoy!

Notes

  • The measurements of pistachio spread and Kunafa is an approximate I used. You can adjust it according to your preference and how creamy or crunchy you want it.

Find it online: https://yumrecipesfood.com/pistachio-kunafa-chocolate-cookies-recipe/