There’s no stopping the Dubai chocolate bar. Companies from Lindt to Trader Joe’s have created copycat versions, while chains like Shake Shack have used it as inspiration for new treats like milkshakes.
Now, one of the Dubai chocolate bar’s key ingredients, pistachio cream, is showing up on restaurant and coffee shop menus across the country. If you haven’t purchased a jar, it’s time to stock up. But what do you do with the stuff beyond spreading it on toast? Here’s a guide to using our new favorite ingredient.
What is pistachio cream?
Pistachio cream is a sweet, luscious spread more similar in nature to Nutella than peanut butter.
“Pistachio cream is typically a smoother, more refined preparation than pistachio butter,” says Benjamin Calleja, co-founder of Nashville’s V Modern Italian. “While pistachio butter is often made by simply grinding pistachios into a thick paste, pistachio cream usually involves blending the nuts with additional ingredients like sugar, oils, or dairy to achieve a silkier, more luxurious texture,” he says. One ingredient may even be white chocolate, which makes for a much sweeter product than a standard pistachio butter or paste.
Pistachio cream is available in the baking section of grocery stores or can be purchased online. (We like the Pistacchiosa brand.) You can use this sweet spread just as you would Nutella — for example, eating it directly out of the jar with a spoon. But its uses are more varied than that. We asked six chefs and restaurant owners about how to put pistachio cream to good use.
Put it in your coffee
Take a page from Chicago’s Adorn Bar & Restaurant, which offers a pistachio latte. “Coffee naturally has nutty, roasted notes which are further complemented by the light nuttiness and subtle sweetness of pistachio,” says general manager Justin Meselsohn. “The mild and slightly sweet flavors of pistachio cream provide a roundness that softens, but doesn’t overpower, coffee’s bitter and acidic tones,” he says.
Meselsohn suggests adding about three-quarters of an ounce of pistachio cream to six ounces of milk prior to steaming. “This allows the pistachio to become well integrated into the milk and fully combine with the espresso for flavor in every sip,” he says.
Make a nutty tiramisu
Samantha Kanterman, executive pastry chef of Burlock Coast in Fort Lauderdale, suggests using pistachio cream to give tiramisu a gently nutty spin. “Pistachio cream is delicately folded into a mascarpone and sabayon base, followed by the incorporation of whipped cream,” she says of one of the restaurant’s top desserts.
“The result is a layer that has a light, airy texture while still getting a deeper nutty note of pistachio, which balances the sweet and slightly bitter espresso and Kahlua elements,” she says. “I pipe the mixture on top of soaked lady fingers and top with a little cocoa powder or shaved chocolate, whichever you prefer.”
Pair it with mortadella
“Pistachio and mortadella are a classic Italian pairing, particularly in the Emilia-Romagna region,” says Nick Pellegrino, owner and chef of Mangia Nashville, whose menu features a bruschetta mortadella with pistachio ricotta. If you seek a slightly savory use for your pistachio cream, try this approach. “The pairing works everywhere from sandwiches and antipasti to pasta and salads,” he says. “The green of the pistachios against the pink of the mortadella makes it visually appealing, too.”
Pellegrino says that jarred pistachio cream will absolutely work in a home version of the dish. “A little bit goes a long way, since the flavor is very concentrated and sweet,” he says. “You’re folding it into ricotta and looking for a pale green color that, when wrapped in or spread onto mortadella, is just beautiful. Sprinkle some crushed pistachio on top for good measure and a little more crunch, and enjoy this classic Italian marriage of savory and sweet.”
Give Rice Krispies treats the Dubai treatment
Turn the flavors of a Dubai chocolate bar into an easy Rice Krispie-style treat, inspired by a sweet served at Cake Life Bake Shop in Philadelphia.
“Dubai chocolate has a lot going on with the crunch of the kataifi (shredded phyllo dough), plus the creaminess of the chocolate and richness of the pistachio cream. And the [Rice Krispies] really amplifies it all,” says co-founder Nima Etemadi.
“We like to layer the Dubai chocolate elements on top of the [Rice Krispies] to keep their flavors and textures intact, and that approach makes it a really adaptable flavor,” says Etemadi. “You can layer the kataifi and pistachio cream mix, plus melted chocolate, onto just about anything and see what works for you. It doesn’t even require any cooking. I also suggest trying on some good rice pudding.”
Spread it between French toast
Michelle Bernstein, chef at Sra. Martinez in Coral Gables, Florida, gives pistachio cream the savory-sweet treatment on the brunch menu. “We’ve made traditional fillings for French toast using guava and cheese and lemon creams, but the pistachio cream and jamón is our favorite,” she says. “Any time I can add a little something savory to something sweet, and vice versa, is an added plus.” Spread the pistachio cream just like you would peanut butter or Nutella onto French toast and stack the slices.
Turn it into pasta sauce
No, really! While pistachio cream lends itself to all sorts of desserts, “[it] is incredibly versatile,” says Calleja, who offers a pistachio pesto spaghetti on the V Modern Italian menu. For this truly savory application, “it’s important to adjust the base,” he says. “If starting with a store-bought pistachio cream, I recommend adding a sharp aged cheese like Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano, a splash of lemon juice or vinegar, and possibly some garlic or herbs to round out the sweetness. It’s about layering umami and acidity to counterbalance the spread’s natural sweetness and create depth.”
