Kataifi Pistachio Parfaits
Individual dessert glasses layered with whipped mascarpone cream, toasted kataifi mixed with pistachio cream, and a drizzle of chocolate ganache. The Dubai chocolate bar flavors in a glass, assembled to order so the kataifi stays crunchy. No baking.
Ingredients
- 150 gkataifi pastry
- 2 tbspbutter
- 150 gpistachio cream
- 250 gmascarpone cheese
- 200 mlheavy cream
- 2 tbsppowdered sugar
- 1 tspvanilla extract
- 80 gdark chocolate
- 60 mlheavy cream for ganache
- 30 gcrushed pistachios
Method
- Toast the kataifi. Chop into 2–3cm pieces with scissors. Melt butter in a wide pan over medium heat, add kataifi and stir constantly for 5–8 minutes until evenly golden. It turns from pale to golden quickly, so watch it. Transfer to a bowl, cool completely, then mix thoroughly with the pistachio cream until coated.
- Make the ganache. Chop the dark chocolate finely and place in a small bowl. Heat 60ml of heavy cream until it just simmers, pour over the chocolate and let sit 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Set aside at room temperature — it should be pourable but not hot when you layer.
- Make the mascarpone cream. Beat the mascarpone, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone. The result should be light but stable.
- Assemble the parfaits just before serving, or up to 30 minutes ahead — the kataifi loses its crunch after about an hour in contact with the cream. Layer in glasses: mascarpone cream first, then kataifi-pistachio filling, then a drizzle of ganache. Repeat if the glasses are large enough.
- Top with a final spoonful of mascarpone cream, another drizzle of ganache, and a scatter of crushed pistachios.
- Serve immediately for maximum crunch, or keep in the fridge for up to 30 minutes. After that the kataifi softens but the dessert is still good — just a different texture.
FAQ
The Dubai chocolate bar's appeal comes from two things: the contrast between crunchy toasted kataifi and smooth pistachio cream inside a chocolate shell, and the visual drama of breaking it open. These parfaits take the same filling — kataifi toasted in butter, mixed with pistachio cream — and present it in a glass layered with light mascarpone cream and chocolate ganache. The flavors are the same as the bar, but the format is a proper plated dessert that doesn't require moulds or chocolate tempering.
Toast it thoroughly — it should be deep golden all the way through, not just on the surface. Let it cool completely before mixing with the pistachio cream, and assemble the parfaits at the last possible moment before serving. Kataifi starts losing its crunch within 15–20 minutes of contact with cream. If you're making these for a dinner party, have everything prepped and assemble while people are finishing their mains. The ganache, cream and even the toasted kataifi (stored airtight) can all be done hours ahead.
Yes. Greek yogurt whipped with honey gives a tangier, lighter cream that works well — the pistachio cream and ganache provide enough richness. Whipped cream on its own is fine but less stable and melts faster. Cream cheese beaten smooth with a little cream and powdered sugar is closer to the mascarpone version in richness. The flavor of the dessert changes with each substitution, but the structure — cream layer, crunchy layer, chocolate drizzle — stays the same.
The crunch from kataifi comes from its fine strands of dough that crisp quickly in butter. The closest substitutes are: shredded wheat cereal crushed and toasted in butter, which mimics the thin crisp strands; cornflakes toasted in butter, which gives similar crunch but a more distinctly corn flavor; rice vermicelli fried briefly in butter until golden. None are identical but all give the essential element — a crispy, buttery layer mixed with pistachio cream against a soft creamy base.
The ganache keeps in the fridge for a week — rewarm before using. The mascarpone cream keeps in the fridge for 2 days. The toasted kataifi keeps at room temperature in an airtight container for 3 days before it starts going stale. The pistachio cream has no time constraint. Assemble the parfaits at serving time or up to 30 minutes ahead. Beyond that, the kataifi softens into the cream and the dessert becomes a different thing — still enjoyable, but no longer a parfait.
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Comments (1)
I whip the cream to soft peaks for kataifi pistachio parfaits, not stiff. Over-whipped cream is on the edge of becoming butter and has a grainy mouthfeel. Stop when it just holds a gentle curl on the whisk — it'll firm up as you fold it.