Dujjonku (Dubai Chocolate Chewy Cookies)

Preparation

1. Make the filling:

   1. Step 1

      Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper and spread the kataifi in an even layer, separating any clumps by gently pulling the threads apart. Add the melted butter and toss to evenly coat. 

   2. Step 2

      Bake, stirring the kataifi and rotating the pan halfway through, until crisp and mostly golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. (It’s OK if there are a couple of pale spots.) Transfer to a mixing bowl.

   3. Step 3

      In a food processor, combine the pistachios, melted white chocolate, sugar and olive oil and process, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until very smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Add to the bowl with the kataifi and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt if needed; it should taste assertively seasoned but not too salty (see Tips). 

   4. Step 4

      Using a cookie scoop or two spoons, scoop eight (2-tablespoon) rounds onto a parchment-lined plate and freeze until hard, about 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, make the chewy shell:

   1. Step 5

      Line a sheet pan with parchment and generously grease with olive oil. In a large nonstick skillet over low, melt the butter. Add the marshmallows and cook, stirring often, until most of the marshmallows have melted and only a few lumps remain, 4 to 5 minutes (be sure not to overheat the marshmallow mixture to keep it stretchy later). Remove the pan from the heat and sift the cocoa powder and milk powder over the marshmallows, then stir constantly until smooth and shiny. It should smell like hot cocoa. Transfer the mixture to the greased sheet pan and set aside to cool enough to touch, about 10 minutes.

   2. Step 6

      Wrap the cookies: Lightly sift some cocoa powder over a large plate or another sheet pan. This will be your landing pad for the cookies. Very generously grease your hands (including fingernails!) with olive oil, then rip off a portion (about an eighth) of the cooled marshmallow shell and flatten with your fingers into a circle about 3 ½ inches wide. Place one of the frozen kataifi balls in the center of the shell and stretch the shell over the ball to cover it as if you’re wrapping a dumpling or bao (bun), going all the way around until it’s sealed. Rip off any excess shell. Finally, roll the ball between your palms to smooth out the surface and to even out any parts that are thicker or thinner. The goal here is to create a thin and even layer of marshmallow shell around the ball without piercing it. Place the wrapped cookie on the cocoa-dusted plate, then continue with the rest of the balls.

   3. Step 7

      Roll each ball around the plate to coat in the cocoa, then, if desired, sift a fresh dusting of cocoa over all of the balls for a pretty finish. These keep well at room temperature for up to 24 hours, but also taste great cold, straight out of the refrigerator, where they’ll keep for up to a week.