Dubai-style Chocolate Muffins (كعكة الشوكولاتة دبي)

Inspired by the sensational Dubai pistachio-kunafe chocolate bar, these moist and tender chocolate muffins boast a luxurious hidden treasure of crunchy, creamy pistachio filling.

Inspired by the Dubai pistachio-kunafe chocolate bar which has surged in popularity recently, these chocolate muffins provide an easier route to sampling the craze. No need for tempering chocolate, calibrating thermometers or polishing polycarbonate moulds; these humble chocolate muffins contain all the textural marvels of Dubai pistachio-kunafe chocolate in a neat little wrapper. I’ll show you my muffin case trick - which guarantees you the high-rise, splendid muffins that you’ll get in bakeries. The muffin batter alone produces a utterly gorgeous chocolate chip muffin batter in its own right - if you’re not a one for the pistachio trend - with some mixed chocolate chips added to it. The pistachio-kunafe filling is embedded as a stuffing, spooned into the muffin after a wedge has been cut tenderly from the top. I actually don’t use real Arabic kunafe/kataifi pastry, which can be tricky to source, instead I use something arguably better, even easier than the Shredded Wheat cereal trick! Alternatively, this muffin recipe can make a two-layer cake if you’re dying to get your cake plates out, or it can be doubled to make a 4-layer celebratory monument of a cake. Either way, it’ll give you some idea of what the fuss is all about. Let’s go!