Classic Tiramisu Recipe
Tiramisu is the most popular Italian dessert and almost every restaurant on this planet 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. Try this tried and tested Tiramisu Recipe and we guarantee that you will never go back.
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!
Note: You will need a square or rectangular dish, approximate dimensions 20×33 cms (8×13 inches) for this dish. For individual servings, use glasses or bowls of your choice.
VIDEO INSTRUCTIONS:
Tiramisu
Ingredients
TIRAMISU
- 6 egg yolks
- 4 egg whites
- 175 grams sugar
- 350 grams mascarpone cheese
- 125 milliliters fresh cream
- 3 cups strong coffee cooled to room temperature
- 120 milliliters marsala wine
- 90 milliliters Kahlua
- 48 sponge fingers aka: savoiardi, approx
- dark chocolate hard for grating as garnish
STRAWBERRIES
- 12 strawberries cut in half
- 1/3 cup marsala wine
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
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
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
Notes
That is a wonderful story Silvia, it makes me wish I was in Italy right now! Regarding using raw eggs, yes there is always a slight risk. A couple of things you can do to reduce that risk are: make sure the eggs are as fresh as possible, there should be no signs of cracking in the shell, handle the eggs hygienically when separating. To further reduce the risk, you can also cook the egg yolks as in a sabayon: https://chefspencil.com/recipe/sabayonzabaglione/ (just don’t add the marsala). Cooking egg whites that you will rely on for the air in the dish is more difficult. The only thing you can really do here is use commercially pasteurised egg whites. Commercially pasteurised egg yolks are also available as an option for them. They are both available from some supermarkets in the refrigerated section. Good luck, I hope you find a way to continue to enjoy this dessert.
I love this recipe and made it many times. We lived in Montebelluna Italy when Tiramisu was “invented”. Friends were all talking about this lovely dessert at a local restaurant. We booked and went for dinner and ordered the Tiramisu. It was divine! Everyone was almost immediately trying to recreated it. This is the closest I’ve ever come to the original we had in that restaurant. The Tiramisu became more famous than the chef or cook that invented it! However, now I’m hesitant to make it as we are warned against using raw eggs. I used to source free range eggs from someone I knew. Where I live now, that isn’t possible. Is there any alternative way to make tiramisu using heat? For instance the way nougat is made by adding hot sugar syrup to the egg whites? I can think of doing that, but can’t think of what to do with the egg yolks except making a creme englaise but I feel that all this would change the taste too much. Thank you for a wonderful recipe that I used quite a few times and brings back wonderful memories.