Tomato Tomatoe

tiramisu

Tiramisu is an iconic Italian dessert. It can be found all over Italy and in any Italian-American restaurant. Tiramisu translates to “pick me up” and it’s one of my favourite desserts to make and to eat. It requires no baking and minimal effort to put together. Tiramisu was invented in the 1960’s in Italy, although it isn’t clear exactly who invented it. There are many theories and stories as to where exactly this popular dessert was invented.

I’ve made a few different versions over the years and this recipe is by far my favourite. Whisking the eggs and sugar over boiling water makes the Tiramisu cream extraordinarily light and creamy. It’s almost like making a Zabaione which is egg yolks, sugar and a type of spirit like Cognac. Tiramisu is light, creamy and has a delicious coffee flavour. It’s very easy to make which is why I love making it so much. It’s one of my all time favourite desserts and I hope it will become yours too!

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tiramisu

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups of espresso, at room temperature
• 3 tbsp dark rum
• 1 countainer (16 oz) of mascarpone cheese (at room temperature)
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 6 egg yolks
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 package of ladyfingers (roughly 40 ladyfingers)
• 1/3 cup unsweetened coco powder
• 1 piece of dark chocolate

Directions

1. . Brew the espresso using a moka pot. Add the espresso to a large bowl along with dark rum. Set aside.
2. Add the mascarpone to a large bowl. Mix to soften with a wooden spoon. Set aside.
3. To make the tiramisu cream, add six egg yolks and sugar to a heat proof bowl. In a saucepan, bring 3 inches of water to a boil. You can also use a double boiler if you have one. Once the water has boiled, place the egg yolk mixture over the simmering water making sure that the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture turns a light yellow colour and has slightly thickened. This should take 8 minutes.
4. Pour the egg mixture into the mascarpone and mix until combined.
5. In a stand mixer, add cream and vanilla extract. Using the whisk attachment, beat the cream on medium speed until stiff peaks form. This should take 3-4 minutes.
6. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone and egg yolk mixture.

Assembly

1. Working with one ladyfinger at a time, dip the top and bottom briefly into the espresso mixture. You don’t want to soak the ladyfingers or keep them in the liquid for too long else they will fall apart (they will absorb the liquid quickly). Arrange the ladyfingers in a single layer to cover the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
2. Add half of the tiramisu cream over the ladyfingers. Repeat the process of dipping the ladyfingers in the espresso mixture and arrange them in a signle layer. Add the remaining tiramisu cream on top and spread evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge over night.
3. Once the tiramisu has set overnight, dust with cocoa powder and you can optionally add grated dark chocolate on top.

Notes

• Don’t soak the ladyfingers. The ladyfingers have a sponge like texture and they will fall apart if they are soaked for too long.
• Don’t over whip the heavy cream. If you whip it past the point of stiff peaks, it will become butter.
• It is crucial to chill the tiramisu overnight else it will fall apart when you slice it.