Classic Tiramisu (almost)

Cooking with Rich

2020-11-30T00:12:05+00:00

I have very few loves when it comes to sweet dishes and a good tiramisu is one of them. Combining some of my favourites, and surprisingly some of my least favourite ingredients, this Italian dessert make for a wonderfully light finish to a dinner or an indulgent treat at any other time of the day.

According to wikipedia tiramisu is not all that old as a recipe, apparently only coming into popularity in the 1960's, however there is a fair amount of contention on its origins with claims going back to the 1700's. But honestly, who cares :-)

Tiramisu is a layered dessert of biscuit/sponge and a rich yet light mascarpone mix with Italian liqueur and espresso coffee. The literal translation is 'pick me up' or, and I like this variation, 'cheer me up', as does for me. The recipe is relatively simple but some patience is required.

As always there are variations, some recipes use only egg whites to mix in with the mascarpone, others suggest using whipped cream, unsurprisingly I found a mix of both works well, as per the below recipe.

The part of the recipe that does give me pause is the use of raw eggs. I am no fan of the flavour of eggs usually and eating raw eggs in any form gives me culinary nightmares. However my love of tiramisu was formed well before I knew how it was actually made.

The key here is to 'pasteurise' the eggs, at a minimum, the egg yolk prior or during the preparation. It is simply heating the yolk to approximately ~60℃ (~140℉) for at least 7 mins to kill off most of the bacteria. If you have a sous vide this would be the most reliable option to pasteurise your eggs prior to separating your yolks and whites as the temperature can be controlled, heat the water to 60℃ and let the eggs sit up to and hour. The eggs will retain a 'raw' consistency at this temperature, to actually 'cook' the eggs would require a higher temp. If you don't have a sous vide, then heat the egg yolks to that temperature, at a minimum, as per the recipe below provides.

Classic Tiramisu (almost)

Preparation: ~45-60 minutes | Cooking: 4-5 minutes with total time | Serves: ~6-8
Skills Level: Easy/Medium

Ingredients

Coffee soak

1 cup of strong espresso coffee, cooled to room temp
2 tbsp caster sugar
3 tbsp of Amaretto or Frangelico (Italian liqueur, Kaluhau also works).

Filling

4 egg yolks
3 tbsp masala
100g caster sugar (or icing sugar also works well)
200 ml heavy cream or whipping cream, whipped
500g mascarpone cheese
2 egg whites, whipped
200g of savoiardi biscuits (ladyfinger biscuits)
Sifted cocoa powder

Method

Coffee Soak

In a bowl large enough to soak one of the biscuits, combine coffee, sugar and your choice of liqueur and set aside.

Filling

Remove marscapone from fridge and let sit to warm to room temperature.
Gently mix egg yolks, masala and sugar in a heat proof bowl.
Now we are going to 'pasteurise' the eggs, making them less likely to make your guests ill. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and gently stir the egg mix until it is warm to the touch and has a foamy thick consistency (~60℃), usually about 7-8 minutes. Constantly mix while over the heat and make sure the mix doesn't heat too much otherwise the eggs will start to cook. Once done set aside for about 10-15 mins to cool.
In a small bowl whisk the egg whites until white and stiff.
In a another mixing bowl whisk cream until you also get stiff peaks. Using an electric mixer on a lower speed setting is the easiest.
In a large mixing bowl, combine egg yolk mix and marscapone and mix until smooth and combined.
Carefully fold in the whipped cream in 2-3 batches, do this gently as it will keep the mix light and fluffy.
Then add in the egg whites, again gently folding in until all is fully combined and smooth. You can adjust the combination of cream to egg white to your preference.

Making Your Tiramisu

Dip each biscuit in the coffee mix and layer in an appropriately sized dish. Tip: Be quick with the dipping and avoid fully soaking the biscuits. They will usually turn to mush and you want the centre to remain 'dry' as they will still soak up moisture once the tiramisu has time to set.
Once you have a layer of biscuit, add your mascarpone mix as the next layer (~1.5-2 cm).
Repeat another layer of biscuits and then another layer or mascarpone mix. How many layers is your choice and only reliant on the depth of the dish you use.
Once assembled cover with some plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 1 hours, but overnight is best.
Just prior to serving sift the cocoa generously and evenly to finalise the presentation.

Tips and Alternatives

Here is a link to a fairly simple process to pasteurise your eggs.
Get creative and make individual servings in a dessert glass or study wine glass.
A less traditional option is to add a berry coulis layer (basically blended berries of some sort), be minimalist with the amount, less is more in this instance.
These days you can buy ladyfinger biscuits in most reasonable supermarkets, however if you do get stuck, an alternative option is using frozen pound cake (Sara Lee is usually available in most places). Defrost slightly and slice into desired layer thickness. Don't soak prior to layering, simply layer the cake, then using a basting brush baste with the coffee soak, again be minimalist here. Then build as normal.

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