The Best Tiramisù
Berlin, October 2014:
Tiramisu! This has been my favourite dessert for twenty years. The recipe I use these days is the result of hundreds of variations tested in my own kitchen, at restaurants and at friends’ dinner parties. To me, now, mine is the best and the formula to get there is simple: 1 egg and 25g (1 ounce) of sugar for 100g (3 1/2 ounces) of mascarpone.
It's lush and creamy, the tender ladyfingers soaked with a well balanced (!) mixture of strong espresso and brandy. Once soaked overnight, they are light and soft yet still have structure, far from being too soggy and mushy (I can't stand when they are ‘swimming’ in liquid). I make the creamy filling with mascarpone, very fresh organic eggs and sugar, some people add whipped cream but I don’t like that - it makes it lack in taste. In case you’re worried about eating raw eggs in a dessert, I can only say that I (and my guests, and there were many) have never had any problems in all those years.
Tiramisu is an absolute crowd pleaser, invented to make a whole Italian family happy after a delicious meal. Although its name means "lift me up," I can't really agree with that. The coffee and sugar have a pushy effect but the amount that I can eat of it definitely works against that. So I prefer to make it when I have friends over, which means that I have to share it and eat a bit less. I always prepare it around 8-10 hours in advance and make a very large portion as it doesn't make much of a difference if you prepare it for six or sixteen people.
One thing is for sure, as soon as it is on the table, the room is filled with silence - the silence of joy!
Here's the summer version of this dessert I made a few months ago: Strawberry Tiramisù!
Tiramisù
I use a round dish of 25cm /10" that’s 6cm / 2.5" tall.
For 6-8 people you need
strong espresso (warm) 125ml / 4.5 ounces
brandy 50ml / 2 ounces
granulated sugar 125g / 4.5 ounces, plus 2 tablespoons for the ladyfingers
mascarpone (at room temperature) 500g / 17.5 ounces
very fresh eggs, divided, 5
a pinch of salt
ladyfingers 300g / 10.5 ounces
unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting
In a deep plate, mix the espresso and brandy with 2 tablespoons of sugar.
Beat the mascarpone until creamy; it won't combine well with the egg yolks and sugar mixture if you leave out this step.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks (just the yolks, not the whole eggs!) and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the mascarpone and mix until well combined.
Whisk the egg whites with the salt until stiff and fold gently into the mascarpone-egg mixture.
Dip just the unsugared side of the ladyfingers for just 1 second (not longer or they will get mushy) into the espresso-brandy mixture and lay them with the sugared side down into a deep dish. They should lay very closely to each other. Spread half of the mascarpone mixture on top and cover with another layer of ladyfingers dipped in the coffee mixture. Spread the remaining mascarpone mixture on top and cover with cling film. Keep in the fridge for at least 8 hours (or longer) and dust with sieved cocoa powder just before serving.
Summer Strawberry Tiramisu
After a decade of eating nothing but tiramisu for dessert whenever I went to a restaurant I can call myself a true specialist when it comes to this famous Italian dessert. I love it passionately and although this phase of complete dedication ended many years ago I still order it sometimes when I see it on the menu. My sweet obsession wasn't limited to restaurants only, but crept into my own kitchen as well. I can't even count the recipes that I've tried until I came up with the one that is absolutely perfect to me. It is creamy, well balanced between mascarpone, eggs and sugar, the lady fingers dipped in espresso and liqueur for a second to avoid a soggy pastry layer. The right ratio between the coffee and alcohol is as important as the kind of spirit. Brandy became my favourite over the years, no amaretto (too strong), no marsala or port (too sweet). I don't bake my own ladyfingers but I "invest" in good quality ones from Italy, that's where this recipe originates and they know best how to make the perfect biscuits for this dessert.
Funnily enough, I haven't shared my tiramisu recipe on the blog yet although I've been wanting to write about it for months (and I've made it a couple time since I started eat in my kitchen). Today I won't even share my original recipe but the fruity summer version, my strawberry tiramisu! I promise, the classic one will come soon but for now it's all about the fruit. Delicious nonetheless, if you have a dinner party ahead of you and you're still looking for a dessert that you can prepare in advance, try this one. My guests always love it as much as I do!
Before I forget to mention it, the ladyfingers are dipped in a syrupy juice made of red wine, strawberry and sugar cooked for two minutes. It's fruity and sweet with a bit of a red wine aroma, not too much, just a hint.
Here’s the recipe for my classic tiramisu!
Strawberry Tiramisu
The tiramisu is best when it can sit for at least 10 hours.
For 8-10 people you need (in a round 25cm / 10" dish)
strawberries 500g / 18 ounces (350g / 12.5 ounces sliced, 100g / 3.5 ounces cut in half for topping, 50g / 2 ounces finely chopped for the syrup)
ladyfingers 300g / 10.5 ounces
organic eggs 4
mascarpone, at room temperature, 400g / 14 ounces
sugar 60g / 2.5 ounces plus 40g / 1.5 ounces for the syrup
red wine 160ml / 5.5 ounces
a pinch of salt
In a sauce pan, bring the wine, 50g / 2 ounces of the strawberries and 40g / 1.5 ounces of the sugar to a boil and cook (open) for 2 minutes on a medium heat. Strain and pour in a deep plate and let the syrup cool.
Beat the egg whites and salt till stiff.
Whisk the mascarpone till creamy.
Mix the egg yolks and 60g / 2.5 ounces of the sugar till thick and creamy and add the mascarpone. Mix well until combined and gently fold in the egg whites.
Dip the ladyfingers' bottom side (unsugared) in the syrup, for 1 second, they will soak enough liquid to soften overnight. If you leave them in longer they become soggy. Lay out a tight layer of ladyfingers (sugared side down) in the dish. Gently cover with half of the mascarpone egg mixture and put the sliced strawberries on top, pushing them down carefully. Spread out another layer of syrup-dipped ladyfingers and cover with the remaining cream. Decorate the tiramisu with the strawberry halves, cover with cling film and keep in the fridge for at least 10 hours before serving.
