Tiramisù translating to ‘pick me up’ in English does just what is says. In the
decade that this dish was created Italians used to eat beaten egg mixed with sugar (called a Sbatudin) to give them energy, this combined with a coffee would really give you a pick me up. This is how the tiramisu was created, it was created for a pregnant woman to give her the boost she needed, and it’s safe to say we are all pretty grateful for this culinary experiment that took place 50 years ago…as far as experiments go this was definitely a success, definitely more successful than some of the experiments that take place in my kitchen that’s for sure.
I have tasted my fair share of tiramisù over the last 20 years, you could say I’ve become quite the connoisseur, although I think that’s just my excuse for eating so much of this tasty treat. I was fortunate enough to study and live in the beautiful city of Treviso, (tiramisù’s birthplace), for over 6 months and was taught the true way to make this dessert.
Let’s get started:
Ingredients:
· 400g Savoiardi biscuits (or any dry biscuits if savoiardi aren’t available)
· 100g Castor sugar
· Unsweetened cocoa powder
· 9 Espresso
· 500g Mascarpone cheese
· 5 Eggs
· 1 spoon Marsala/ grappa/ brandy (This is optional as it is only to mask the smell of the raw egg and not to taste, I personally recommend marsala or brandy).
Equipment:
· 2 Large bowls
· Hand mixer (if not, a whisk is just fine)
· 3 Spoons
· Sieve
· 2 Small bowls
· Container for the tiramisu
Process:
1. Prepare the coffee, equivalent to 9/10 espresso and let it cool.
2. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites, place 4 yolks into one large bowl and 5 whites into the other large bowl.
3. Use the electric mixer or whisk to beat the egg whites until they looked whipped (my teacher used to say until you can hold the bowl upside down above your head and not get covered in egg).
4. Gradually add the sugar while continuously mixing into the egg yolks, and then mix until the sugar has completely dissolved, and the mixture is starting to look almost white.
5. Add the mascarpone slowly to the egg yolk/sugar mixture and mix with a spoon.
6. Optional- Add a teaspoon of marsala/brandy or grappa to mask the smell of the raw egg.
7. Mix lightly with electric mixer until the mascarpone has been fully incorporated.
8. Add the beaten egg whites to the mascarpone mixture. Mix bringing the spoon from underneath and to the top in order not to deflate the mixture.
9. Dip the savoiardi biscuits one by one in the cold coffee and layer them on the bottom of the dish, you’ll only need half of the biscuits for this layer. (2 seconds is the perfect dipping time, just a 2 second roll in the coffee so the savoiardi are not too dry or too soggy.)
10. Use half of the mascarpone mix to create the next layer.
11. Repeat the biscuit layer and then use the rest of the mascarpone mixture for the final layer.
12. For the final step, using a sieve sprinkle the cocoa powder on top of your delicious tiramisu.
I know how hard it is to have the patience not to demolish this straight away. If you’re anything like me, the thought of leaving the dessert to rest 4-5 hours or even until the day after is terrifying but trust me it’ll be worth it. Though due to the raw egg I wouldn’t leave it any longer than 2 days in the fridge, not that I’ve ever seen a tiramisù survive that long without being eaten.
This is the authentic recipe but there’s a couple of ways to tweak it and give it a modern twist. Try using glasses to create individual portions and you can even top your tiramisù with a couple of coffee beans or dark chocolate shavings to give it a visual boost.
I’d love to hear your feedback if you tried this recipe, how did it go? What other recipes have you been wanting to try?
I guess all I can say now is ENJOY!
Kommentare