It is one of my all time favourite desserts, I think slowly and steadily its over taking cheesecake to the number 1 slot. I judge restaurants and patisseries based on the tiramisu they make. When made right, there is nothing more orgasmic in your mouth than a tiramisu.
This dessert has been on my cooklist for months. Unfortunately, its ingredients were pretty expensive and not easy to come by. The main pillars of this dessert are macarpone cheese and ladyfingers. On my last trip to Goa, I stumbled upon ladyfingers at Newtons, and immediately snatched it up. Now all I needed was marscapone cheese and I was sorted with the basics.
Mascarpone cheese is an Italian cheese that is thick and soft and has a high fat content. This richness is essential to the tiramisu, and you can also use this cheese for cheesecakes or pasta sauce. Its easily available at Nature's Basket outlets, however, its so expensive (700 bucks for 250gms). That is, until I discovered a cheaper, Indian made brand. If you are trying out this dish, please buy La Cremella Mascarpone Cheese (also available at Nature's Basket). It cost 200 odd bucks for a quart. If it still seems expensive, you can try to make it at home.
P.S: This dessert couldn't have come to fruition without the help of my Sous Chef husband, so major credit goes to you Shrey Kamerkar.
500gms Mascarpone cheese
3 egg yolks
100gms Sugar
250ml Whipping cream
1 pack or approx 25-30 ladyfingers
1 cup brewed, lukewarm espresso (any black coffee with two teaspoon sugar)
1 cup Kahlua (optional)
Cocoa Powder to sprinkle on top
In a stand mixer, whip the whipping cream till double its volume. If you don't have a stand mixer, you can use the hand mixer or even whisk with your hands, however please note that it will take more time and energy. Now add the cheese and whisk for just one minute. It is crucial that you don't over whisk at this time as the cream might start to curdle. Once combined, set aside.
In a bowl add the egg yolks and sugar and whisk. Once fairly combined, place the bowl in a double boiler. Keep whisking while alternating the bowl on the heat and away from the heat. It is important to do this step carefully as prolonged exposure to the heat will cause the egg to scramble. Use your judgement, but for those who can't take a call, rule of thumb is for every minute you whisk the egg on the double boiler, whisk it for 3 mins away from the gas. Use mitts as you will be touching a hot bowl and going in and out of gas range. I know it sounds complicated, but this process is important to eliminate the risk involved in using raw eggs. Whisking the eggs and sugar will need a lot of elbow grease. The sugar must completely dissolve in the egg. You are looking for a sabayon consistency i.e: the egg will turn pale yellow and when you lift the whisk into the air, the mixture will fall back into the bowl in ribbons.
Now gently fold the egg mixture into the cream & cheese mixture and set aside. In another bowl, mix together the espresso and Kahlua. To build the tiramisu, quickly dunk the ladyfinger into the coffee liquid. It needs to be a quick dunk so as to not get it too soggy. Lay them side by side on the bottom of the serving bowl. Spoon a layer of the mascarpone mixture to evenly over the bowl. Repeat with another layer of ladyfinger and finally with another layer of mascarpone. Use a spatula or a butter knife to smoothen out the top layer and make it even.
Refrigeratefor atleast an hour before serving. Just before serving, sift a light, even dusting or cocoa powder over the top.
Note: The traditional recipe calls for only mascarpone cheese, but I've used a half & half mix of the cheese & whipped cream, solely so that it doesn't pinch my wallet. Incase you don't find whipping cream either, you can use the remaining egg whites (just ensure to whip it till its more that 3 times its volume and add in a little extra sugar)
Ladyfingers are sweet, spongecake-like biscuits, that are long and said to be shaped like fingers. Incase you don't find it, you can use basic vanilla sponge cake.
Tip: Mixing the coffee with any kind of liqueur gives this dessert a little oopmh and enhances the flavour. I've used Kahlua keeping with the coffee flavour of the tiramisu, but you can use dark rum, port, irish cream or brandy as well.
For portion control, you can also layer up in individual serving glasses. I've made a two layered dessert. Most restaurants serve a one layered version, but be generous to your family, more the layers, better the flavour.
