Happy Halloween!

Dubai Chocolate Brownie with Oreo Soil

Recipe: Natallia Nice

Ingredients

Brownie Base

  • Dark Chocolate – 400 g
  • Butter – 180 g
  • Powdered Sugar – 180 g
  • Light Brown Sugar – 230 g
  • Warm Milk – 300 ml
  • All-Purpose Flour – 320 g
  • Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder – 80 g
  • Baking Powder – ¼ tsp
  • Salt – ½ tsp

Crunchy Pistachio Layer

  • Kataifi – 250 g
  • Shredded Coconut – 100 g
  • Butter – 4 tbsp
  • Pistachio Cream – 400 g
  • Tahini – 6–8 tbsp

Chocolate Ganache

  • Milk Chocolate – 340 g
  • Heavy Cream – 180 g

Garnish

  • Oreo Cookies – 12–15 (blended into fine “soil”)
  • Optional Halloween décor: edible tombstones, skulls, candy pumpkins, chocolate bones, edible eyes

Method

Brownie Base

  1. Preheat oven to 340°F (170°C). Grease and line a 9×13-inch pan.
  2. Melt dark chocolate and butter until smooth.
  3. Whisk in powdered sugar and light brown sugar.
  4. Add warm milk gradually, mixing until glossy.
  5. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Fold into the chocolate mixture until just combined.
  6. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25–30 minutes. Cool completely.

Crunchy Pistachio Layer

  1. Melt butter in a skillet and toast kataifi until golden and crisp.
  2. Add shredded coconut and toast briefly.
  3. Let the kataifi cool completely before mixing in pistachio cream and tahini to form a rich, nutty paste.
  4. Spread this mixture evenly over the cooled brownie base. Chill for 30 minutes.

Chocolate Ganache

  1. Heat heavy cream until simmering. Pour over chopped milk chocolate.
  2. Let sit for 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
  3. Pour ganache over the pistachio layer and spread evenly. Chill until firm (about 1 hour).

Soil & Decor

  1. Blend Oreo cookies into a fine powder to create “soil.”
  2. Sprinkle Oreo soil generously over the ganache layer.
  3. Decorate with Halloween-themed décor:
    • tombstones
    • skulls
    • bones
    • black luster dust
    • spiders

 

Bloody Shirley

Recipe: Renan Lopes

Ingredients

  • 1 can of Sprite
  • Grenadine
  • Plastic syringes 

Method

  1. Pour Sprite into a clear glass.
  2. Using a plastic syringe, fill with grenadine to preference.
  3. Place the filled syringe in your glass, and repeat process for desired number of drinks. 
  4. When ready to serve, squeeze the grenadine out of the syringe and into the drink. Enjoy!

 

For a twist, add 1.5 ounces of your favorite vodka to the Sprite.