I believe that tiramisu is on everyone’s list of favourite desserts, it certainly is on mine :):) It’s also one of the most versatile and tweaked recipes. We come across many varieties with the addition of fresh fruits, chocolate, with eggs, without eggs, cooked, uncooked etc. etc.
There are a few theories about the origins of tiramisu. Mostly it is believed to be a modern dessert first made in the Veneto region in the late 60’s, which is supported by the fact that the oldest recipe found was in a book called “The Desserts of Veneto” dated 1983. Other sources say that it was first made in the 17th century in the Tuscan town of Siena as it is famous for another similar dessert called “Zuppa Inglese” which is like a trifle. Anyhow, what makes this theory less credible is the ingredients used. Mascarpone is a fresh cheese from the Lombardia region in northern Italy and it is highly unlikely that it could withstand a long journey to Siena in the conditions of a few hundred years ago. And the other thing not supporting this theory is the use of raw eggs, which in those days could have been very risky. Saying that it is the officially accepted story :):) Today there are many arguments and ongoing court cases between regions and towns who claim tiramisu to be theirs.
The recipe found in the book “The Desserts of Veneto” requires the use of only egg yolks whisked with sugar until light and fluffy, which gets mixed with mascarpone. This delicious cream then gets layered with ladyfingers dipped in coffee. So in the original recipe there is no use of alcohol either but it has become very common to use marsala wine, amaretto or coffee liquors through the years. Whisked egg whites and cream as we see in some recipes were both a later addition to make it a lighter dessert. The recipe that I’m going to share with you is one that my mother-in-law, aka Sciura Bucci, is famous for; not too far from the classic with only a couple of tweaks, it is light, creamy and oh so dreamy :):)
The most evident difference of my mother-in-laws recipe is the addition of cocoa in the cream. The process is the same, as you beat the whites and the yolks separately with some sugar, blend the yolks with mascarpone and a little cocoa powder and so on. If you are using a stand mixer like I do, do beat the egg whites first then you can use the same bowl for the yolks without needing to wash it.
Following my mother-in-laws recipe I will be adding some amaretto to the cream and trust me, it won’t be so evident that you can’t serve it to younger members of your family but it’s totally up to you, you can do without. Once we add the egg whites to the cream we blend everything well but gently with a spatula or a wooden spoon as we wouldn’t want to deflate it too much. Then it’s just the very simple task of layering this beautiful cream with the ladyfingers. I highly recommend you to make your own ladyfingers if you have the time, for a simple and guaranteed recipe, you can have a look at my previous post on homemade savoiardi/ladyfingers.
- 30-35 ladyfingers
- 300 gr mascarpone
- 3 large eggs (separated)
- 60 gr caster sugar (about 5 heaping Tbs)
- 2 Tbs cocoa powder (15 gr)
- 150-200 ml espresso or strong black coffee
- 30-40 ml amaretto
- cocoa powder to sprinkle
- Prepare the coffee and mix with 1 heaping Tbs of sugar, let cool.
- Beat egg whites on a low speed for a couple of minutes until foamy.
- Add 2 Tbs sugar while the stand mixer is running and beat on medium high speed until stiff.
- If you are using the same bowl for the yolks, transfer the whites into another.
- Beat the yolks with the remaining 2 Tbs of sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the mascarpone, 2 Tbs cacao powder and amaretto if using, mix well.
- Fold in the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture and rest in the fridge until needed.
- Spread 2 Tbs of the cream on the base of your serving dish. Put coffee in a shallow dish and dip in the ladyfingers for a few seconds until nicely soaked but not soggy and layer into the dish.
- Spread half the cream on to the ladyfingers and cover with another layering of coffee soaked ladyfingers. Spread rest of the cream and level with the back of a spoon. Here you can make two or three layers depending on the size and depth of your dish.
- Cover and chill in the fridge for 3-4 hours or overnight.
- Dust with plenty cocoa powder and serve.
- Buon appetito :):)
Make sure to use very fresh eggs.
Don't let the biscuits get so soggy that they break into pieces.
Dust with cocoa powder just before serving, otherwise it will get wet and won't look very pretty.
Keeps well in the freezer for a month, thaw overnight in the fridge.