Tiramisu

Ingredients:

Since this is so popular with my family, I thought I'd let you all in on my secrets so you can be a dessert god at family meals as I am. I took this tiramisu to a family birthday party today as a special surprise for my aunt, and it was well-recieved as always.

This tiramisu recipe is easily the equal of any I've had in a restaurant, and better than most, and the presentation is especially nice. The recipe is actually very simple, and the whole thing took me less than two hours to put together, including stopping at each step to take pictures.

All the ingredients came from Trader Joe's except for the powdered sugar:

You'll need (from left):
Decent rum
A pot of coffee
Two 8 oz. tubs of mascarpone cheese
Good chocolate
3 eggs
Heavy cream
Powdered sugar
3 boxes of ladyfingers

About the only really special piece of equipment you'll need is a 10+1/2" (or thereabouts) springform pan. Everything else I used should be present in any decent kitchen.

Step 1:

The bottom of the springform pan get a lining with a double layer of foil. This just helps seal up the pan so coffee won't leak out.

The the barrel of the pan gets clamped on and the excess foil tucked underneath.

Step 2:

The Custard

3 egg yolks
1/3 cup of powdered sugar
1/3 cup of rum

Step 3:

Whisk together well over simmering water.

... continue to whisk until it thickens a bit. (Note that the bowl is tempered glass. Don't try this with a bowl which is not heat-resistant.)

When the custard is done, put it in the fridge to cool.

Step 4:

The Cheese Mixture

Put your mascarpone and another 1/3 cup of powdered sugar in a larger bowl.

Cream them together with a rubber spatula.

Step 5:

Then beat with a hand mixer...

Step 6:

... until it looks like this.

Step 7:

Add 1+1/2 cups of heavy cream.

Step 8:

And beat.

It will look like extra-thick whipped cream...

Step 9:

... and then like overbeaten cream.

At this point, I felt the custard was still a little warm, so I put the cheese mixture in the fridge to keep cool and proceeded on with other things.

Step 10:

The Chocolate Shavings

You will need:

Chocolate and a grater.

Step 11:

Using the fine side of the grater, I reduced an ounce of fine chocolate to fine shavings.

Step 12:

I then folded up the foil into a packet so I could put it in the fridge to keep cool.

Step 13:

Back to the Cheese Mixture

Everything's cool now, so it's time to mix the custard with the cheese mixture.

Pour it in.

Step 14:

Fold it together. Put it back in the fridge to stay cool.

Step 15:

Assembly

You will need:

Ladyfingers, knife, coffee, and a rimmed plate.

The ladyfingers are a little longer than the pan is tall.


I therefore will trim the ends a litlle. Since these are ladyfingers, I think of this as trimming the fingernails.

The trimmed ones do not get soaked in the coffee. They get stood up around the outside of the pan, frosted side out. The whole ones get soaked in the coffee for a few seconds, until they are about half wet and half dry, and are used to support the upright ones.

Step 16:

The bottom doesn't need to look nice, especially, since it won't show. The outside needs to be pretty.

Done. You can see a few places where I've filled holes by soaking a few of the "fingernails" and stuffed them in.

Step 17:

Starting to add the cheese mixture. It should seal against every single upright ladyfinger and cover the bottom evenly. Make sure to use less than half.

Done with the first layer of cheese mixture and ready fro the next layer of ladyfingers.

Step 18:

More ladyfingers get soaked in coffee until about half-wet and are used to make an even layer on top of the cheese mixture.

Second layer of ladyfingers is done; ready for more cheese mixture.

Step 19:

Second layer of the cheese mixture going in.

All done.

Took the chocolate out of the fridge...

... and cut off the corner to make a little hole.

Then I held the packet by the edges so my body heat wouln't melt the chocolate and sprinkled it on top of the cheese mixture.

Step 20:

Voila! ready to cover with foil and stick in the fridge until it's time to go to the party.

And here's what it looks like as it's opened up.

As expected, the tiramisu was a smash.