tirimisu please.....

[Pooh]

Dear Bree:

If you can find an Italian grocery or specialty store in your neck of the woods, the imported lady fingers are just fine!

and Papa:

Thanks, that's pretty funny! LOL

I will ask the liquor store about the Tiramisù.

[Kimmie]

Found a new magazine called ITALIAN COOKING & LIVING. Happens to be the very first issue...and guess what was in there? Another Tiramisù recipe. This one serves 6.

Build-it yourself Tiramisù

The cool, creamy decadence of tiramisù is hard to resist. My build-it-yourself version is a fun take on the traditional coffee and cocoa flavored dessert, and has the spontaneite of a light snack. The only prerequisite for enjoying it is a natural flair for scooping up lush clouds of whipped mascarpone. -- maurizio marfoglia, carmaya, blooklyn, ny

3 large eggs, separated
1 cup cooled espresso
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cognac
8 ounces Italian mascarpone
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 cup unsweetened cocoa
36 ladyfingers

Combine the egg yolks, 1 tablespoon of the espresso, the sugar, and the cognac in a large mixing bowl; beat for 2 to 3 minutes with a wire whisk. Add the mascarpone and beat for 3 to 5 minutes more, or until smooth. In another bowl, combine the egg whites and salt; beat until stiff peaks form with a wire whisk. Gently fold the egg whites into the mascarpone mixture, being careful not to deflate it. Divide the mascarpone mixture among 6 cups; sift a little cocoa over each portion.

Divide the remaining espresso among 6 cups. To serve: Place one cup of the mascarpone mixture and one cup of the espresso on each of 6 oversize plates. Stack 6 ladyfingers on each plate in a tic-tac-toe pattern, 2 horizontally, 2 vertically, and 2 horizontally again.

To eat, dip each ladyfinger first in the espresso, then in the mascarpone.

P.S.: You can substitute Tiramisù liquor (referred to previously in this thread by papa) for the Cognac, if you can find it!

The magazine has a website. I haven't visited it yet (I just got home). The address is

www.italiancookingandliving.com

[Kimmie]

Would you believe I found another variation?

Tiramisù

Taking a cue from a favorite Italian dessert, this dessert combines mascarpone gelato and ladyfingers infused with espresso syrup. Creamy, freshly made gelato is easiest to work with, or let a previously made batch soften slightly before using.

24 to 30 ladyfingers
2 cups freshly brewed espresso, cooled
4 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons dark rum
1 ½ quarts Mascarpone Gelato (recipe follows)
1 cup heavy cream
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

In a 9-inch baking dish, arrange a single layer of ladyfingers. In a medium bowl, combine the espresso, sugar, and rum. Pour the mixture over the ladyfingers to cover. Set aside to soak for 10 to 15 minutes.

In parfait glasses, alternate layers of soaked cookies and the gelato. Place the layered parfait glasses in the freezer for at least 20 minutes to allow the tiramisù to firm up.

In a deep bowl, beat the cream until soft peeaks form. To serve, top the tiramisù with whipped cream and sprinkles of the chopped chocolate.—Serves 8


Mascarpone Gelato

2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 cups (16 oz) marcarpone cheese at room temperature
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2/3 cups pine nuts, toasted

In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, cream, and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, then cook until bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Remove from the heat. Add the vanilla bean, scraping the seeds into the milk, and let stand for 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until thoroughly chilled.

Remove the vanilla pod. Stir in the mascarpone, lemon zest, and pine nuts. Transfer to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufaturer's instructions.—Makes 1 ½ quarts; serves 6

Hope you like it!



[ June 14, 2001: Message edited by: Kimmie ]

[davewarne]

Try this for a variation.

TIRAMISU TERRINE

10-15 PORTIONS

Sponge: 5 Yolks, 5 Whites, 100 gr Caster Sugar, 80 gr Plain Flour

Filling: 4 Yolks, 80 gr Caster Sugar, 100 gr Unsalted Butter, 250 gr Mascarpone
275 cc Double Cream, 1 Teasp Vanilla Essence.

METHOD
Sponge: Whisk the yolks and sugar until white and thick. Whisk the whites until stiff. Fold the sifted flour into the yolks followed by the whites. Spread thinly into a tray about 10" x 15", lined with silicone baking parchment. Dust with icing icing sugar and bake at 175 C/ 330 F/ Mk4 until til firm, about 15 mins.

Filling: Whisk the yolks and sugar until thick and white. Place over a pan of hot water and continue to whisk until thick. Cool, whisking from time to time. Add soft butter and whisk in. Add mascarpone and vanilla and whisk in. Whip the cream to almost fully stiff and fold in.

Cut the sponge into 4 strips to form 4 layers in a loaf mould. Place a layer in the bottom of the mould, sprinkle with cold, strong, sweetened black coffee and Tia Maria. Spoon in one-third of the filling and add another lay of sponge etc. Spoon in another third of the filling, then sponge, then the remaining filling, finishing with sponge. Chill, preferably overnight. Turn out, slice and serve decorated with coffee sauce, mascarpone thinned with cream and grated plain chocolate.

I love it! I'm getting fat eating the leftovers!

David

[Kimmie]

One more

Godiva tiramisu:



5 oz. Godiva Liqueur, Divided
1/2 Cup Strong Black Coffee Or Espresso
16-20 Ladyfingers
1 Lb. Mascarpone Cheese
2 Eggs, Separated
1/3 Cup Confectioner's Sugar
3-4 oz. Dark Chocolate, Grated


Mix 3 oz. of Godiva Liqueur with coffee, and set aside. For each serving, trim 4 ladyfingers to fit along the sides and bottom of a 1 cup soufflé dish. Pour 1 oz. of the reserved coffee into each soufflé dish and set aside. Beat together the mascarpone cheese, egg yolks, sugar and remaining 2 oz. of Godiva Liqueur until smooth. Whip the egg whites until stiff, and fold into the cheese. Divide the filling evenly among the soufflé dishes; sprinkle with chocolate and refrigerate overnight.

Godiva liqueur available
Here

[Kimmie]

I thought our Tiramisù affair had ended when last night I watched a cooking show (from France) where the pastry chef served the dessert into a molded chocolate cup. I thought the idea was original and interesting.

Only one cookie is used, broken in two, dipped in espresso and placed in the bottom of the cup, topped with the mascarpone mixture and a dusting of powdered chocolate. A chocolate gondola was carefully placed on top but a "langue de chat" could do instead.

Gotta find molds...



Forgot: The tiramisù sat on a pool of crème anglaise!

[ August 22, 2001: Message edited by: Kimmie ]

[Anneke]

Kimmie: Isn't that interesting - we watched the same show! I think those chocolate molds are pretty easy to make. What really stunned me was the colour of both the crème anglaise and the mascarpone mixture. Did you notice how bright yellow - almost orange they were? It's because of the eggs they use; their yolks aren't anemic like ours, they are marigold in colour!

[Kimmie]

Anneke,

We must have something in common...

and yes, I noticed how yellow the mixture was. It's the eggs, definitely.

Funny how free-range corn-fed chickens seem to give healthier eggs than our hormone grown variety!

[ August 22, 2001: Message edited by: Kimmie ]

[Anneke]

..actually, to my disappointment, they are not healthier, or so I am told. In fact free range chickens have an 'uncontrolled' diet which means they eat cat poop and all sorts of things we don't want to know about...

[Kimmie]

as long as it's ORGANIC...

[Anneke]

You don't get more organic than cat poop!!!

[Kimmie]

True indeed!

[Isa]

I can not believe I missed that episode. Only saw the last few minutes.

[Kimmie]

Don't worry, the only part that I found interesting was the dessert.

Guess what Sisi! I missed today's show...

[CompassRose]

Originally posted by Anneke:
<STRONG>In fact free range chickens have an 'uncontrolled' diet which means they eat cat poop and all sorts of things we don't want to know about...</STRONG>

Just like my cats do!

A few years ago, I spent a week hiking round the Isle of Arran with some friends. We stayed at B&Bs along the way (really lovely places, and I was amazed at how reasonable the prices were).

Each one served breakfast, of course, and all the food was great, if ribsticking, traditional fare - with one exception. We got scrambled eggs at one place, and my one friend and I COULD NOT stomach them, after our first respective bites.

These chickens (who could be seen pecking in the fenced-in yard all round the house) must have been fed on nothing, and I mean nothing, but fish. The eggs tasted like - like - canned herring left open for a day or two. I'm vegetarian, and so was my one friend. We fobbed the eggs off on her husband so that the sweet lady who ran the B&B (and who'd been very concerned about the food for we veggies) wouldn't be hurt.

But those eggs WERE an amazing colour - like Florida orange juice!