Audra wanted me to make this for Kevin’s birthday. Until now I’ve been a strictly savoury sort of guy—although I do a mean crumble and real custard if pushed. But I’m always up for a challenge, so thought I’d give it a go.
I soon found more recipes than there are Italians, and then one on the pack of Savoiardi (Ladyfingers); so decided to extract the best from each and essentially make it up as I went along. So, for posterity:
rpg’s tiramisu recipe
Ingredients
- Six eggs, separated
- 200 g sugar
- splodge real vanilla essence
- pack of Savoiardi
- small pot strong espresso
- 1/2 cup brandy
- 500 g mascarpone
Protocol
- Prepare a pot of espresso (about a cup/4–6 servings) and allow to cool
- Beat yolks together with the sugar (hand balloon whisk) until pale yellow and smooth and creamy, and most of the sugar is dissolved. Mix in the vanilla essence
- Fold in 250 g mascarpone and beat for a couple of minutes. Add the rest of the mascarpone and beat again until smooth and all the sugar is dissolved
- In a clean bowl beat (electric whisk) the egg whites and a generous pinch of sugar until stiff peaks form
- Gently combine the meringue with the yolk custard, a little at a time, until completely mixed
- Pour the espresso into a shallow container (e.g. Chinese takeaway box) and stir in the brandy
- Dip each ladyfinger, sugar-side, into the coffee/brandy for about 2 seconds, and place on the bottom of the serving tray, dry side down, until the base is covered
- Cover the base with 1/3–1/2 the custard (cream). Sprinkle cocoa over it
- Repeat for a second layer of savoiardi; followed by the rest of the cream. Sprinkle cocoa (through a tea strainer)
- Refrigerate overnight
Tiramisu, ready to go
We’ll see how it goes tomorrow.