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Tiramisu

Recipe serves: 8

A Little Background

Tiramisu is one of those dishes that is widely available as almost every restaurant serves some variation of it. Unfortunately it is this same widespread availability that means it can often disappoint. Fortunately when it is good it is sublime and it is these occasions that keep most of us coming back for more and trying it again and again.
This recipe is a result of years of working with numerous other Chefs (Italian and otherwise) creating different Tiramisu’s in countless different kitchens using just as many different methods. During this time I watched, learned, tasted and most importantly listened to the customers in those places where the Tiramisu was a house specialty and it walked off the menu faster than we could make it. Co-incidentally, those places were also the ones where the recipe was as simple as possible and as close to basic Italian pastry work as possible. Proof again that when it comes to classic dishes, stick with classic techniques.
Thanks to those years of experience and learning I have been able to take the best of every recipe I encountered and create this recipe, I hope you enjoy it and that you find it to be one of those sublime Tiramisu’s we’ve all been chasing. Buon appetito!

What you'll need

For The Tiramisu

6 Egg Yolks
4 Egg Whites
175 grams (6 ounces) of sugar
350 (12 ounces) grams mascarpone cheese
125 mls (1/2 cup) fresh cream
3 cups strong coffee (cooled to room temperature)
120 mls (4 fluid ounces) marsala wine
90 mls (3 fluid ounces) kahlua
Approx 48 sponge finger biscuits (savoiardi)
Square or rectangular dish, approximate dimensions 20x33 cms (8x13 inches)
For individual servings, use glasses or bowls of your choice
Electric cake mixer

For the Strawberries

12 strawberries cut in half
1/3 cup marsala
1 tbsp sugar

What to do

For the Tiramisu

Add the egg yolks & half the sugar to mixer bowl
Whisk on high speed until light & creamy (approximately 2 minutes)
Add the mascarpone cheese & mix on medium speed, until just combined
Add the cream and whisk for approximately another 2 minutes (until thick & creamy)
Transfer to a large bowl
Clean and dry the mixing bowl and whisk
Pour the egg whites into the clean mixing bowl (make sure the bowl is not hot after washing)
Whisk on high speed until soft peaks (approximately 1 minute)
Continue whisking and slowly add remaining sugar (1 tablespoon at a time)
Continue whisking until stiff peaks (approximately 1 minute)
Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold half of the egg whites into the cream mixture in the large bowl
Once they are just combined fold through the remaining egg whites
Add the marsala & the kahlua to the coffee
Soak the biscuits in the coffee mix one at a time for a few seconds, drain and arrange in the dish
Once one layer of biscuits is completed in the dish, spread on an even layer of the cream mixture
Place another layer of soaked biscuits on the cream
Top and spread with a final layer of the cream
Smooth the top and garnish with some freshly grated quality chocolate
Set in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
Cut into desired portions and serve with some marsala soaked strawberries
To make individual portion servings, simply break biscuits into appropriate smaller size before soaking and prepare in the same way as above but in each glass or bowl

For the Strawberries

Dissolve the sugar in the marsala in a saucepan over a low flame
Bring to the boil
Add the strawberries
Once they are vibrant and bright red, strain them out of the liquid and allow to cool
Return the liquid to the stove and reduce until a syrupy consistency

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Recipe By Paul Hegeman
Styling By Paul Hegeman
Photography By Jason Hamilton
© Chef's Pencil 2007