I had the privilege of hanging out with some new friends last night and I brought a big batch of tiramisu to share. Now, if you ask me, dessert doesn’t get any better, but that’s just my opinion! As I was sharing the recipe with a few and talking about how to make it, I realized that there is a misconception when it comes to tiramisu.
In essence, tiramisu is what we call a “method” recipe. Once you learn the method, it can be translated into any number of flavor combinations, depending on your imagination. Sure, the classic tiramisu is the espresso-chocolate version that we all know and love, but why stop there? So, I am going to give you my recipe for “classic” tiramisu and then I’ll throw in another one that’s totally different. Seriously, go to any recipe search site that you like and search for tiramisu and you’ll find there are tons of combinations!!
My favorite tiramisu
8 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
8 ounces cream cheese, cut into pieces, room temperature
1 3/4 cups chilled whipping cream
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder diluted in 1 1/4 cups hot water, cooled
30-40 lady fingers, crisp
Preparation – Finely chop chocolate in processor. Set aside.
Mix sugar and egg yolks in mixer for 30 seconds. Add vanilla and process until pale yellow, about 1 minute. Add cheese in batches and blend until smooth. Transfer to medium bowl. Cover and chill 1 hour.
Beat whipping cream until stiff. Fold into cream cheese mixture. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, about 1 hour. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead.)
Pour espresso into large shallow dish. Dip ladyfingers in espresso, turning to coat all sides lightly. Arrange strips on bottom of 10-cup shallow dish, smoothing with fingers to mold together. Sprinkle with half of chocolate. top with chilled cheese mixture. Sprinkle remaining chocolate over. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Is best prepared 1 day ahead of time, to let the flavors mesh together.
So, there is the classic….now for something fun.
Strawberry-orange tiramisu
1 1/4 cups strawberry preserves
1/3 cup plus 4 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
1/3 cup orange juice
1 pound mascarpone cheese, room temperature – can use cream cheese, too but the flavor will be a little different
1 1/3 cups chilled whipping cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
52 (about) crisp ladyfingers
1 1/2 pounds strawberries, divided
Preparation – Whisk preserves, 1/3 cup Grand Marnier, and orange juice in 2-cup measuring cup. Place mascarpone cheese and 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier in large bowl; fold just to blend. Using electric mixer, beat cream, sugar, vanilla, and remaining 2 tablespoons Marnier in another large bowl to soft peaks. Stir 1/4 of whipped cream mixture into mascarpone mixture to lighten. Fold in remaining whipped cream.
Hull and slice half of strawberries. Spread 1/2 cup preserve mixture over bottom of 3-quart oblong serving dish or a 13x9x2- inch glass baking dish. Arrange enough ladyfingers over strawberry mixture to cover bottom of dish. Spoon 3/4 cup preserve mixture over ladyfingers, then spread 2 1/2 cups mascarpone mixture over. Arrange 2 cups sliced strawberries over mascarpone mixture. Repeat layering with remaining lady fingers, preserve mixture, and mascarpone mixture. Cover with plastic and chill at least 8 hours or overnight.
Slice remaining strawberries. Arrange over tiramasù and serve.
So there you have it…one method, 2 recipes, and endless possibilities! Have fun!
