Let me introduce you to one of my most-loved recipes: my nonna's Tiramisù. This is traditional Italian food at its finest - and will be the ultimate crowd-pleaser.
If you asked me what my favourite dessert is, I'd probably say Tiramisù. It's creamy, not overly sweet and oh-so-indulgent. And to me, it evokes memories of home too. Tiramisù was one of the best desserts my nana ever made. Every single time she'd make it, I'd be so excited to have it. I would come home from school and run to the kitchen, open the fridge door and see it there, sitting into a huge baking dish that would occupy an entire shelf to itself, all the other food squished in the top shelf or the produce drawers. We'd have it for a few days straight, after every meal and even for breakfast. It was amazing.
I have tried a fair share of Tiramisùs over the years, and will often choose it at restaurants too. However, I might be biased, my nana's version still remains undefeated - so here is her recipe. It is very simple and straightforward, like most grandmothers' recipes, but it genuinely is the most delicious thing. I often make Tiramisù when I am feeding a crowd. It's the perfect thing to make for a dinner party, as you can make it in the morning, leave it to sit in the fridge and forget about it while you prep the rest of the food. But to be honest, you don't really need an occasion for it, and you'll find it quite easy to dig through it by yourself as well (I speak from experience).
Key Things to Know about my Nonna's Tiramisù
It contains no alcohol: I always say an alcoholic Tiramisù isn't a traditional one. To be honest, I might be wrong. There might be some regions in Italy that do add alcohol to their Tiramisù. However, I have never had alcoholic Tiramisù in Italy and I am not about to start now.
It doesn't just use mascarpone cheese: So here is the thing - a lot of Tiramisùs out there will use just mascarpone cheese, which is perhaps most authentic. Other recipes use Chantilly cream but that is quite a stretch from the original. So my nana always used half mascarpone and half ricotta. This makes her Tiramisù exceptionally light, without sacrificing texture or flavour. It truly is amazing.
It doesn't use too many eggs: Again, I see so many recipes for Tiramisù using a lot of eggs, which is fine, but will definitely make for a heavier dessert. My nana's recipe only uses three and I always felt they were just the right amount.
Yes, it should have savoiardi, but lady fingers are just fine: My nana always used savoiardi biscuits as tradition dictates, but they are so hard to find here in the UK, I always use lady fingers or sponge fingers instead. They are incredibly similar and they'll do the job just fine. But of course, if you find the real thing, even better!
Yes, you can use decaf: If you can't drink caffeinated beverages (or they just don't agree with you), feel free to use decaf coffee - it truly doesn't impact the taste that much!
Ingredients
3 large eggs
7 tbsp caster sugar
500ml brewed coffee (or dissolve 2 tbsp instant coffee in 500ml of boiling water)
250g mascarpone cheese
250g ricotta
400g savoiardi or lady fingers
3 tbsp dark cocoa powder
Method
Divide the egg yolks from the whites. Transfer the whites into a large bowl and set aside in the fridge.
In another large bowl, beat the yolks with the sugar using a whisk. After a while, you'll get a liquid consistency.
Add the mascarpone to the yolks and sugar and beat until combined. Repeat with the ricotta.
Brew 500ml coffee from a French press (or mix 2 tbsp of instant coffee with 500ml boiling water) and transfer to a bowl. Let the coffee cool down.
Using an electric beater, beat the egg whites until they are fluffy and foamy. Add them to the mascarpone and ricotta mixture and fold gently, so that you don't knock all the air from them. Transfer the bowl into the fridge.
Pull out a medium, deep baking dish. Add a savoiardo or lady finger to the coffee mix for a couple of seconds (the biscuits should look slightly dry to you, as the coffee is actually still seeping in and it will get wetter in a few seconds) and place at the bottom of the baking dish. Repeat with more biscuits (should roughly be 200g of biscuits), until you have created a packed, first layer of coffee biscuits.
Cover the first layer with half the mascarpone and ricotta cream.
Create a second layer by dipping the remaining biscuits into the coffee and adding them to the baking dish. Once you have your second layer of coffee biscuits, cover with the remaining mascarpone and ricotta cream.
Leave in the fridge to set, for a minimum of 3 hours (but preferably 6 to 8 hours).
Before serving, dust generously with cocoa powder on top.
This Tiramisù will keep in the fridge for up to two days.
Comments