Just as I was about to drop out, the Daring Bakers came up with a challenge I was excited to devote some serious time to. Tiramisu!! I'm a HUGE fan of good Tiramisu. I know, I know. It has coffee. And several different types of alcohol. But man. It's just so good.
I decided that if I was going to take time away from my kids and housework to make this, everyone in the house should be able to eat it. So on top of making savoiardi (ladyfingers), marscapone cheese, zabaglione, and pastry cream for the first time, I added the challenge of making it coffee and alcohol free. Hot chocolate was an easy sub for the coffee. I'd been hoping to find some amaretto flavoring (like in our wedding cake), but didn't have time to hunt it down. So I went with almond extract.
My Tiramisu, not quite chilled enough.
My Savoiardi (ladyfingers). They were perfectly spongy and tasty. I'm so proud.The entire family devoured this dessert. Even my picky 2 and 5 year old boys.
My honest evaluation? It was really good. The balance of almond and lemon was good, if a bit strong. Switching to amaretto flavoring (which is essentially almond and vanilla) and cutting the lemon zest a tad would fix that. Sadly, the chocolate wasn't enough for me. I used a high-quality and very rich hot chocolate in both the zabaglione and to dip the savoiardi, but you couldn't tell. Next time, I'd add some cocoa to a few of the components. Like the whipped cream. And maybe make my own hot chocolate with a dark, unsweetened bar to add some bitterness.
Some tips:
- This is not a quick dessert. Two overnight chills are required, so plan ahead!
- Plan to make the savoiardi, marscapone, zabaglione, and pastry cream at least two days ahead. The whipped cream and final assembly will be at least one day ahead. Then chill until needed. I imagine it would be good at least a week in the freezer.
- This makes a very soft tiramisu. It's much easier to cut and serve if you freeze it instead of just chilling it.
- If you are using an improvised double boiler, you will need to use a metal bowl (or pot) on top when making the marscapone. Glass doesn't conduct heat well enough to reach 190.
- To make the most of your lemons, be sure to zest them before making the juice for the marscapone. You'll need the zest later.
Chocolate Almond Tiramisu
SAVOIARDI BISCUITS (Ladyfingers)
from Cordon Bleu At Home
Makes approximately 40 - 5" long ladyfingers.
Ingredients:
3 eggs, separated
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 cup cake flour, sifted (or 3/4 cup all purpose flour + 2 tbsp corn starch)
6 tablespoons confectioner's sugar,
Preheat your oven to 350 F (175 C) degrees, then lightly brush 2 baking sheets with oil or softened butter and line with parchment paper. Or use silicone baking mats.
Beat the egg whites using a hand held electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gradually add granulate sugar and continue beating until the egg whites become stiff again, glossy and smooth.
In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks lightly with a fork and fold them into the meringue, using a wooden spoon. Sift the flour over this mixture and fold gently until just mixed. It is important to fold very gently and not overdo the folding. Otherwise the batter would deflate and lose volume resulting in ladyfingers which are flat and not spongy.
Fit a pastry bag with a plain tip (or just snip the end off; you could also use a Ziploc bag) and fill with the batter. Pipe the batter into 5" long and 3/4" wide strips leaving about 1" space in between the strips.
Sprinkle half the confectioner's sugar over the ladyfingers and wait for 5 minutes. The sugar will pearl or look wet and glisten. Now sprinkle the remaining sugar. This helps to give the ladyfingers their characteristic crispness.
Bake the ladyfingers for 10 minutes, then rotate the sheets and bake for another 5 minutes or so until the puff up, turn lightly golden brown and are still soft.
Allow them to cool slightly on the sheets for about 5 minutes and then remove the ladyfingers from the baking sheet with a metal spatula while still hot, and cool on a rack. Store them in an airtight container till required. They should keep for 2 to 3 weeks.
MASCARPONE CHEESE
From Vera’s Recipe for Homemade Mascarpone Cheese
This recipe makes 12oz/ 340gm of mascarpone cheese This makes about 4x the amount you need. Feel free to adjust accordingly.
Ingredients:
2 cups whipping cream
1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a wide skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low so the water is barely simmering. Pour the cream into a medium heat-resistant bowl, then place the bowl into the skillet. Heat the cream, stirring often, to 190 F. If you do not have a thermometer, wait until small bubbles keep trying to push up to the surface. It will take about 15 minutes of delicate heating.
Add the lemon juice and continue heating the mixture, stirring gently, until the cream curdles. Do not expect the same action as you see during ricotta cheese making. All that the whipping cream will do is become thicker, like a well-done crème anglaise. It will cover a back of your wooden spoon thickly. You will see just a few clear whey streaks when you stir. Remove the bowl from the water and let cool for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, line a sieve with four layers of dampened cheesecloth (or a damp, thin kitchen towel) and set it over a bowl. Transfer the mixture into the lined sieve. Do not squeeze the cheese in the cheesecloth or press on its surface (be patient, it will firm up after refrigeration time). Once cooled completely, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (in the sieve) overnight or up to 24 hours.
Vera’s notes: The first time I made mascarpone I had all doubts if it’d been cooked enough, because of its custard-like texture. Have no fear, it will firm up beautifully in the fridge, and will yet remain lusciously creamy.
Keep refrigerated and use within 3 to 4 days.
TIRAMISU (Includes zabaglione and pastry cream recipes)
Recipe source: Carminantonio's Tiramisu from The Washington Post, July 11 2007
This recipe makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
For the zabaglione:
2 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup Marsala wine (or port or coffee) (I used hot chocolate)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used almond)
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
For the vanilla pastry cream:
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (Again, I used almond)
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup whole milk
For the whipped cream:
1 cup chilled heavy cream (we used 25%)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used almond)
To assemble the tiramisu:
2 cups brewed espresso, warmed (Again, I used hot chocolate)
1 teaspoon rum extract (optional) (I simply left this out)
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
36 savoiardi/ ladyfinger biscuits (you may use less) (Mine we a little small, so I used 42)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Method:
For the zabaglione:
Heat water in a double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, place a pot with about an inch of water in it on the stove. Place a heat-proof bowl in the pot making sure the bottom does not touch the water.
In a large mixing bowl (or stainless steel mixing bowl), mix together the egg yolks, sugar, the Marsala (or espresso/ coffee), vanilla extract and lemon zest. Whisk together until the yolks are fully blended and the mixture looks smooth.
Transfer the mixture to the top of a double boiler or place your bowl over the pan/ pot with simmering water. Cook the egg mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 8 minutes or until it resembles thick custard. It may bubble a bit as it reaches that consistency.
Let cool to room temperature and transfer the zabaglione to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.
For the pastry cream:
Mix together the sugar, flour, lemon zest and vanilla extract in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. To this add the egg yolk and half the milk. Whisk until smooth.
Now place the saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring constantly to prevent the mixture from curdling.
Add the remaining milk a little at a time, still stirring constantly. After about 12 minutes the mixture will be thick, free of lumps and beginning to bubble. (If you have a few lumps, don’t worry. You can push the cream through a fine-mesh strainer.)
Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.
For the whipped cream:
- Combine the cream, sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer or immersion blender until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Set aside.
To assemble the tiramisu:
Have ready a rectangular serving dish (about 8" by 8" should do) or one of your choice.
Mix together the warm espresso, rum extract and sugar in a shallow dish, whisking to mix well. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese with a spoon to break down the lumps and make it smooth. This will make it easier to fold. Add the prepared and chilled zabaglione and pastry cream, blending until just combined. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Set this cream mixture aside.
Now to start assembling the tiramisu.
Workings quickly, dip 12 of the ladyfingers in the sweetened espresso, about 1 second per side. They should be moist but not soggy. Immediately transfer each ladyfinger to the platter, placing them side by side in a single row. You may break a lady finger into two, if necessary, to ensure the base of your dish is completely covered.
Spoon one-third of the cream mixture on top of the ladyfingers, then use a rubber spatula or spreading knife to cover the top evenly, all the way to the edges.
Repeat to create 2 more layers, using 12 ladyfingers and the cream mixture for each layer. Clean any spilled cream mixture; cover carefully with plastic wrap and refrigerate the tiramisu overnight.
To serve, carefully remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle the tiramisu with cocoa powder using a fine-mesh strainer or decorate as you please. Cut into individual portions and serve.
