tiramisu

[janebono]

I have attempted the perfect tiramisu many times with varying degrees of success. It seems everyone has a different idea of what the perfect "Lift me up" should be. I recently tried adding Zabigoni and whipped egg whites to the Marscapone with delighful results. The custard was light and smooth and had more volume that other attempts.

If you have had success with this delicious Italian treat please respond with your ideas.

Gratefully

Jane

[Suzanne F]

Do you use fresh egg whites or pasteurized? Or does it depend on how nervous the people you're serving are about raw eggs?

Whichever, that sounds like a great idea. Right now, He Who Only Eats refuses to have tiramisu more than once a year (fat, and all that )even though he is a coffee+chocolate fiend. Maybe I'll try to tempt him with your lightened version.

[janebono]

Hi,

I use whole fresh eggs and seperate the whites from the yokes. (Im not overly worried about salminela) I make Zabaglione in a double boiler with a tbs of sugar, meanwhile I whip the whites till peaky. I fold the zab into the marscapone then the eggs whites..gently..It doubles the volume of the cheese and lightens it.

I make this 3 or 4 times a year for holidays. I just don't eat the whole bowl at one sitting. It will keep in the refrig for a couple of days if you cover it.

Let me know how you enjoy it, if you make it.

Jane

[claire797]

Do you use fresh egg whites or pasteurized?  Or does it depend on how nervous the people you're serving are about raw eggs?

Whichever, that sounds like a great idea.  Right now, He Who Only Eats refuses to have tiramisu more than once a year (fat, and all that  )even though he is a coffee+chocolate fiend.  Maybe I'll try to tempt him with your lightened version.

Suzanne,

Why don't you try making "He Who Only Eats" a low-fat Tiramisu. I know, I know. Sounds insane. But I actually have a really good recipe. It's a variation on a Cooking Light recipe. That is, it's very close to a recipe they call "White Russian Tiramisu" but I have made significant changes.

I'm almost embarrassed to put a low-fat tiramisu in the archive for fear I will offend dessert purists. However, I am actually very picky about desserts and was shocked to find that this recipe met my high standards for taste. Most lowfat desserts don't. Here's the recipe:

Tiramisu

[Craig Camp]

Do you use fresh egg whites or pasteurized?  Or does it depend on how nervous the people you're serving are about raw eggs?

Does anyone know of a case where someone actually got sick from the tiramisu? It Italy the eggs at the grocery store are not even refrigerated - just on the shelf like the canned goods. I have never heard one story from anyone in Italy about someone getting ill from tiramisu.

On the other had I was almost killed (for 24 hours anyway) by some home-made mayonnaise in Barcelona last year.

[stellabella]

in fact, in many parts of the world eggs aren't refrigerated.

i use raw eggs [from local chickens] in chocolate mousse. no one has complained. how risky is this, really? curious.

Edited April 22, 2003 by stellabella (log)

[janebono]

I wonder also. In Mexico the eggs sit on the counter...I have cooked for years with raw eggs and no one has gotten sick.

Maybe freshness has something to do with it. I use raw eggs in ceasar salad also without incident.

But my mom never scrubbedher cutting board with bleach and put the Thaanskgiving turkey in the refregerator with the stuffing in it...go figure.

I figure "If it ain't broke don't fixit

Jane

[Dana]

Instead of dipping the ladyfingers in Kahlua and espresso, I use Amaretto and expresso. We are not big coffee fans, and the nuttiness from the Amaretto is delish.

[bripastryguy]

This is my production recipe in the last bakery I ran. Sorry its huge. Just break it down. If you have any questions let me know

Tiramisu

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

7 7" sponge cakes -- split in 3 layers

Mascarpone Mousse

17 ounces egg yolks

2 cups sugar

rum or kaluha to taste

12 sheets gelatin

4 pounds mascarpone cheese

14 ounces egg white

1/2 Tablespoon salt

2 quarts heavy cream

Soaking Liquid

1 pot espresso or very strong coffee -- hot

1/2 cup kahlua

1/2 cup tia Maria

1/2 cup Frangelico

2 pounds sugar

Mascarpone Mousse:

In a bowl over a water bath place the egg yolks, first amount of sugar and the rum. Whisk until very warm to the touch. Soak the gelatin leaves in cold water. Drain the gelatin, squeeze out all excess water and add gelatin the warmed egg yolks. Whisk smooth, if not warm enought to dissolve gelatin place back on water bath and warm to dissolve all the gelatin! Put mixture in mixer with whip and start whipping on high. Once cool stop machine and add mascarpone and whip out until light and creamy. In another mixing bowl whip the egg whites with the soft until "smow". Gradually add sugar and whip out to soft peaks. Fold into yolk/ mascarpone mixture. Whip the cream until stiff, fold in to complete the mousse.

Soaking Liquid:

Combine all and stir to dissolve sugar. Cool completely.

Assembly:

Lightly spray 10- 7" cake pans. Place a paper circle in the bottom. Place a layer of sponge cake in the bottom and soak generously with coffee syrup. Place some mousse to make a layer then top with another layer of cake which also has been generously soaked with coffee syrup. Top with another layer of mousse. Freeze overnight. When assembling, remove the cake from the pan, mask the cake with topping. Comb the top and dust with cocoa powder. Place lady fingers around outside of cake.

Yield:

"10 7 inch cakes"

Brian

[Marlene]

Here is bripastryguy's recipe for Tiramisu.

We should be able to find a way to scale this in the archive!

[bripastryguy]

marlene,

I added some changes, thank you for putting it in the archive.

BPG

[Marlene]

No problem. Vengroff is going to work on a way to be able to scale it.

[torakris]

I have been working on a tiramisu for a while now and have finally found my favorite. It is quick and simple, i will try to post it later today. I have worked it out so that is uses the entire carton/tub of the products as they are found in Japan (250 grams marscapone, 200ml cream,etc), so they might not work as "simply" in other parts of the world. I also don't drink much alcohol and don't like heavy on the alcohol desserts, so my version is made with just espresso and occasionally a splash of amaretto.

[Wendy DeBord]

I make it so many different ways, each has it's place and a different time to be used. I also prefer sponge cakes to homemade lady fingers. My lady fingers are always too lite to handle the soaking and remain solid.

I make my filling like Brians, with both whites and whipped cream. I always play around with my flavoring, like I'll do one layer with plain marscarpone mousse and the other with either melted chocolate folded into it or finely chopped pieces folded in. Sometimes I fold triblit into my mousse, sometimes finely grated orange rind (like a canolli) with mini chocolate chips.

When I use cocoa powder I refuse to place it ontop. Too many people don't mix it around before biting into it and get a mini cocoa powder choke.

I've made Bau's recipe before and added a pinch of coffee grinds, but I'm too American to like that texture in my mouth.

I also like the hard as a rock purchased lady fingers used in a hotel pan with a non-thickened plain filling.

In all honesty, I'm not sure why there is such a huge liking for this dessert and creme brulee. Both are good but there are so many more interesting desserts I'd much rather eat.

[Dave the Cook]

Real men only eat tiramisu to please their ladies.

What they really want is maggiethecat's Boston Cream Pie.

[Steve Martin]

I've noticed this most public domain dessert can become quite a dog's breakfast of ingredients.

I make it with Italian savoiardi biscuits soaked in strong, sweetened espresso, strengthened with Kahlua. Layered with mascarpone cheese lightly beaten with egg yolk.

Set up in the fridge then dusted with 100% cocoa powder.

[Craig Camp]

I go along with Steve's approach - at some point it just isn't tiramisu anymore. There is a conflict with the Italian K.I.S.S. concept and the American desire to add something.

[janebono]

I also prefer savordi to american lady fingers or sponge cake. I don't dip in expresso or coffee. I used a pastry brush for more control. Takes longer but they never break down once assembled.

I top with cocoa powder or choclate shavings and some xxx sugar for a nice presentation.

[edm]

hi,

i'd just like to know the best recipes for this italian classic.

Any secrets ingredients besides the basic mascarpone, egg and sugar mix?

What alcohol do you use?

Thx a lot

[chocklateer]

I use 1 part Kahlua and 1part Amaretto to 2 parts really strong full flavoured espresso to dip my cookies. I also soak my cookies really well. And I use Italian mascarpone. Oh so good! I like a more pudding like Tiramisu(served from a bowl/trifle dish) and my recipe works really well for this!!!

D.

[Daniel]

I cant give you any recipes, but i can tell you that my favorite tiramisu is served at Tarverna Flavia in Rome.. This was a great restaurant that actually made me extend my time in Rome for one more lunch and dinner there. They would serve it in an old fashion ice cream dish and put one lady finger cut in half at the bottom.. So the rest of the dish was just filled with the cream mixture.. It is So much better that way.

[amccomb]

I cant give you any recipes, but i can tell you that my favorite tiramisu is served at Tarverna Flavia in Rome.. This was a great restaurant that actually made me extend my time in Rome for one more lunch and dinner there.    They would serve it in an old fashion ice cream dish and put one lady finger cut in half at the bottom.. So the rest of the dish was just filled with the cream mixture.. It is So much better that way.

←

Crazy! I went to Rome between Christmas and 12th Night and ate at the Taverna Flavia, too. We had the tiramisu as well.

[Daniel]

I cant give you any recipes, but i can tell you that my favorite tiramisu is served at Tarverna Flavia in Rome.. This was a great restaurant that actually made me extend my time in Rome for one more lunch and dinner there.     They would serve it in an old fashion ice cream dish and put one lady finger cut in half at the bottom.. So the rest of the dish was just filled with the cream mixture.. It is So much better that way.

←

Crazy! I went to Rome between Christmas and 12th Night and ate at the Taverna Flavia, too. We had the tiramisu as well.

←

What were your thoughts?

[martinlersch]

I use a very simple recipe:

1)

3-4 dl whipping cream, whipped

4 ts homemade vanilla sugar (chopped vanilla beans + sugar, leave for a month)

200 g ricotta cheese

200 g mascarpone cheese

2)

50 ml espresso coffe (cold)

50 ml brandy

3)

savoirdi biscuits

4)

cocoa powder

mix 1), dip 3) in 2)

make three layers (starting with 3)) in a bowl

sprinkle with 4)

leave for a couple of hours in a cool place to "settle"

--

Martin

Edited February 15, 2005 by martinlersch (log)

[amccomb]

I cant give you any recipes, but i can tell you that my favorite tiramisu is served at Tarverna Flavia in Rome.. This was a great restaurant that actually made me extend my time in Rome for one more lunch and dinner there.    They would serve it in an old fashion ice cream dish and put one lady finger cut in half at the bottom.. So the rest of the dish was just filled with the cream mixture.. It is So much better that way.

←

Crazy! I went to Rome between Christmas and 12th Night and ate at the Taverna Flavia, too. We had the tiramisu as well.

←

What were your thoughts?

←

Well, it was definitely one of our best meals in Rome! Your description of the tiramisu was right on. In general, though, I was pretty disappointed with the food in Rome.