Tiramisu

Copyright 2006 by Cooking With The Single Guy

Ingredients:
3 egg yolks*
1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup coffee
1/4 cup sugar
1 T confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
1 T Kahlua
8 oz. marscapone cheese, softened to room temperature
2 t vanilla extract
1 T Marsala wine
20 ladyfingers (hard cookies from package)
3 T cocoa powder
shaved bitter chocolate for topping

In large bowl, beat egg and sugar with electric mixer on high until you get a pale yellow color and ribbon forms. (About 6 minutes.) This is what’s known as the zabaglione. Mix in marsala and vanilla and blend for 1 minute. Lower speed and add marscapone. Refrigerate while you’re working on the other ingredients.

In another bowl, beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form (about 7 minutes). Then add confectioners’ sugar. And beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold your heavy cream into the zabaglione.

In shallow dish, blend coffee and Kahlua together. Quickly dip each ladyfinger (about a second for each side) and place on the bottom of a 9-inch square glass dish, dipping enough ladyfingers to create the bottom layer. You may need to cut the ladyfingers to make sure you cover the entire bottom. Pour half of your heavy cream/zabaglione mixture on top and smoothen it out with a spatula. Then create a second layer of ladyfingers dipped in coffee. Finish it off with the remaining heavy cream. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.

When ready to serve, dust cocoa powder on top and add shaved chocolate for decoration. (To shave your chocolate, hold a chef’s knife on both ends and scrape the bottom of a chocolate bar with the knife’s edge.)

*This recipe uses raw eggs, the traditional way to make tiramisu. For safety, be sure to use fresh eggs and don’t let the yolk touch the outside of the shell. Always refrigerate your tiramisu when not eating.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Serve with a dessert wine such as muscat or a shot of espresso.

TIP: Most recipes say you should wait at least 2 hours before serving, to let your tiramisu set. I’ve found that’s not enough, especially when working with heavy cream. If you serve too soon, the cream will ooze all over the place and you won’t get that nicely cut, firm piece of tiramisu. That’s why I recommend at least 3 hours. Overnight is the best, that way you have dessert made a day ahead of any dinner you’re planning. The longer the tiramisu set, the more firm the cream and the more moist your ladyfingers will get.

GOOD TO THE LAST DROP: The key to a great tiramisu, in my opinion, is the coffee. Buy a cup of freshly brewed coffee from your favorite coffee shop (not Starbucks!) that’s close in flavor to an espresso. Or if you have good quality coffee beans, brew yourself a cup. When dipping your ladyfingers in the coffee, be sure to quickly dip them about a second on both sides, to allow it to get wet but not long so that they become soggy.