This is the first dessert recipe I ever learnt . The year was unspecified but I was young and I only saw pastries at 5 am after a night out clubbing. A friend’s girlfriend taught me her recipe. I decided to learn it so I could be independent and make my own.
Over the years I adjusted the recipe of this homemade Tiramisu. She used only mascarpone, whereas I now use half mascarpone and half whipped cream.
Back then she didn’t pasteurize the egg yolks, but when you’re young you live dangerously. Even the amount of sugar was too much, but when you’re young you can get away with it.
In Italy we usually make the classic Tiramisu with ladyfinger biscuits. Despite the risk of being unpopular I still use the same biscuits of her original recipe: Oro Saiwa.
Maybe not as bad as putting pineapple on pizza, but still…
I am not sure if these biscuits are available outside Italy, but in case they can be swapped with any plain, dry, flat biscuit type.
Still today I use a little trick this girl taught me: I set aside a small quantity of cream and I add the first few drops of (moka) coffee, so that I end up with a coffee-flavored cream. I use this for the bottom layer.
Easy Homemade Tiramisu
Ingredients
- 250 g mascarpone 8.8 oz
- 250 g fresh whipping cream 8.8 oz
- 50 g egg yolks 1.8 oz
- 100 g sugar 3.5 oz
- 30 g water 1.1 oz
- 50 g freshly brewed moka coffee 1.8 oz
- dry biscuits like Oro Saiwa
- unsweetened cocoa powder
optional:
- 5 g gelatin sheet
Instructions
For the pate a bombe:
- Put water and sugar in a small pot on low-medium heat. When the temperature of the syrup reaches approx 112° C (233° F) start mixing the egg yolks with the handheld mixer. When the temperature reaches 121° C (250° F) remove from heat, and drizzle the syrup on the yolks while still mixing.
- If you decide to add the gelatin, add it now. It should be soaked for 10 minutes in cold water and wrung.
- Keep mixing the mixture until it becomes very light color and fluffy (approx 5 minutes).
- Set aside to cool down.
For the mascarpone cream:
- Soften the mascarpone cheese with a for. When the sugar and yolk mixture reaches the temperature of 28° C (82° F), add the mascarpone in 2 or 3 steps, every time mixing with a spatula. It will be lumpy, that's ok. Only at the end blend with the handheld mixer, just enough to obtain a smooth cream.
- Whip the cream to medium-firm consistency. With the help of a spatula, gently fold it into the rest of the ingredients in order not to deflate it.
- Set aside about 100-150g of this mascarpone cream (3.5-5.3 oz).
- Put the moka on heat with the lid open. Add the first few drops of coffee to the cream you just set aside. Mix gently. This will be used for the bottom layer.
Assembly:
- Pour the remaining coffee in a small bowl or plate. Moisten each biscuit on the flat side and start placing each one in the container of choice.
- Once the biscuits for the bottom layer are in place, pour the coffee-flavored mascarpone cream and level with a spatula.
- Make another layer of biscuits in the same way. Pour the rest of the cream and level again with a spatula.
- Depending on the container used, you will end up making 2 or 3 layers. See notes at the bottom regarding the container.
- Cover with cling film and place in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
- Sprinkle with unsweetened cocoa powder before serving.