A dessert of sponge cake infused with a liquid such as coffee or rum layered with mascarpone
cheese, and topped with cocoa or grated chocolate.
Delicious, rich, luscious goodness; traditionally made with Marsala wine, this creamy and dreamy Italian dessert has become a classic all over the world, and for good reason! I could probably just stop here and give you the recipe already…but let me also give you some fun facts that you can use to impress your date/friends/family while you serve this and wait for the applause:
– The word Tiramisù in Italian translates to “pick me up”. I, too, desire to be picked up on a regular basis by a piece of this indulgent dessert; the rich ingredients with a good dose of espresso should do it, right? Better have a second piece to be sure.
– Tiramisù was invented in 1800 in the city of Treviso, Italy, but it wasn’t until the 1980s that it quickly began to gain popularity outside of Italy (far too long to live without it in our lives, as far as I’m concerned)
– Before electricity was widely available, Tiramisù was only eaten in and around Treviso because it would not keep long, deprived of refrigeration. If you’re somehow able to keep hungry friends and family away from devouring it, Tiramisù can keep for about 4 days refrigerated (but I find it tastes best when it’s not quite freshly made, but rather 1-2 days later, when the flavours have fully developed!)
Many have their own spin on it, so here is my recipe for a delicious Tiramisù using Grand Marnier. Enjoy!
Add two heaping teaspoons of instant espresso powder to 2 cups of water. Microwave 1.5 minutes, let stand, strain and allow to cool to room temperature. On the stovetop, bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a saucepan. Set a heatproof bowl over the saucepan, ensuring the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in the bowl until dissolved. Whisk in milk. On medium heat, whisk constantly for about 10-20 minutes or until the custard has thickened and a thermometer placed inside reads 170F. Remove the custard from heat and allow it to cool for 10 minutes.
Using a hand mixer, add mascarpone into the custard, mixing until silky smooth, then refrigerate for 1 hour to set, covering the surface with cling-wrap to prevent a skin from forming.
Beat the whipping cream and vanilla until it has reached stiff peaks. Gently fold into the mascarpone/custard mixture using a silicone spatula.
Add Grand Marnier to the cooled espresso, then dip each ladyfinger about 1 second per side. Arrange ladyfingers in an even layer inside an 8×8 glass dish.
Cover the layer of soaked ladyfingers with half the cream mixture. Add a second layer of soaked ladyfingers, followed by a thin layer of cream on top just to even out the surface. Chill to set slightly, about 10 minutes. Transfer the remaining cream mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large round piping tip. Pipe small dollops over the entire surface of the Tiramisù. Sprinkle generously with cocoa powder, and refrigerate a minimum of 6 hours, or ideally overnight. Enjoy!
Hot tip: Save the egg whites to use in making pavlova, macarons (if you’re feeling brave), angel food cake, soufflé…
Hot tip 2: Feel free to use a larger glass dish, this recipe will yield a bit more filling than you would need for the 8×8 pan
Hot tip 3: I used the Wilton 1A round piping tip to pipe a lot of pretty dollops of cream on top of my Tiramisù for added visual appeal
I'm Alina and I love making fabulous desserts. My goal is to teach you how to make delicious desserts from scratch to impress your guests, friends, and family!
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