TIRAMISU
Tiramisu is a classic Italian dessert made of layers of coffee soaked ladyfinger biscuits (savoiardi), creamy mascarpone cheese mixed with eggs and sugar, and a dusting of cocoa powder, delivering a luscious contrast of bitter espresso and sweet, silky richness. Its name means "pick me up" in Italian, referring to the energising coffee and cocoa flavours. While its exact origins are debated, most culinary historians trace tiramisu to the Veneto region, particularly the city of Treviso, where it is widely believed to have been created in the late 1960s or early 1970s and quickly became a beloved staple across Italy and the world.
My recipe is really a love letter to the classic tiramisu, but upping the flavour and lightness to the cream base. My cream base is three delicious mixtures, folded through together for a cream so delicious you will want to drink it. A cherry Zabaglione (Zabaglione is a light, frothy Italian custard made by whisking egg yolks, sugar and sweet wine (usually Marsala) over gentle heat until thick and airy), chantilly cream and the classic mascarpone mix, all folded to create a cherry and nuttily spiced cream mix that brings your tiramisu to a level never seen before.
TIRAMISU
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TIRAMISU 〰️
Time: 1 hour hands on + 1 hour chill
Serves: 10-12
CREAM BASE
Cherry Zabaglione
4 egg yolks
120gm caster sugar
4 tbl sp cherry liqueur
Pinch salt
Prep a pot of gently boiling water. Place yolks, sugar and cherry liqueur in bowl and whisk together before sitting bowl on top of simmering water pot and whisking until mixture triples in size and becomes light in colour. You should be able to make an ‘8’ symbol in the mixture on top. Whisk in a pinch of salt and then remove heat and glad wrap the top of the sabaglione and place in fridge.
Chantilly Cream
600gm thickened cream
4 tbl sp caster sugar
Whisk ingredients together until you light soft standing peaks. Place in fridge until you need.
Mascarpone Mix
500gm mascarpone
4 tbl sp liquor 43
2 tbl sp cherry liqueur
Place mascarpone in stand mixer bowl and using the whisk attachment whisk on lowest setting whilst pouring in alcohol to allow to come together.
Pour in cooled cherry zabaglione and continue to whisk in stand mixer on lowest setting until you have a homogenous mixture.
Remove bowl from stand mixer and then in three stages fold in your chantilly cream. Fold until you have a beautiful creamy base that folds over itself like book scroll. Place in fridge covered with cling film.
THE BUILD
500ml black espresso coffee
300 - 400gm lady fingers
Chocolate cocoa powder
Begin with a base of coffee dunked lady fingers. To dunk, hold down each side for 1 second each, any longer and your biscuit will crumble in your coffee mix. Follow the steps in the reel of laying down a layer of coffee lady fingers (drizzle extra espresso on top), then a cream base layer and then a full dusting of cocoa powder. Do this process twice. Leave in fridge to set together for at least an hour.