Nathan loves Tiramisu, a dessert we usually share after a meal at an Italian restaurant. Here’s a wonderful recipe we’ve had success with at home. It helps to have a heavy-duty mixer when the recipe calls for whisking.
Nathan's sister, Michelle, made this tiramisu.
Tiramisu
- 8 egg yolks
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup dark rum
- ½ cup cold water
- Splash of Amaretto
- 2 ½ lbs. of mascarpone
- About 40 ladyfingers
- 2 cups coffee reduction*
- Splash of Kahlua
- Cocoa and confectioner sugar (optional garnish)
Making “zabaglione.” The mascarpone cheese mixture is called zabaglione.
1. Whisk egg yolks, rum, Amaretto, sugar, and water over a hot water bath. A simple way to do this is to bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Place boiling pot of water under blender bowl of ingredients. Whisk on high speed until mixture is thick, almost foamy.
2. Place bowl of zabaglione in a bowl of ice to chill while preparing coffee reduction and ladyfingers.
3. When zabaglione has cooled, whisk in mascarpone cheese until smooth. Do not over mix or the mascarpone will break down.
*Coffee Reduction
1. Prepare a pot of coffee, only use half as much water to create about 3 cups of strong coffee.
2. Cool and add a splash of Kahlua.
Prepare Pan
1. Grease the sides and bottom of a springform pan. A ten inch casserole dish can be substituted.
2. Cut pieces of parchment paper to line the bottom and sides.
Assemble
1. Place a layer of ladyfingers on the bottom of the pan. Leave a one-inch gap at the sides to make room for stand-up ladyfingers that will form the sides.
2. Soak the ladyfingers with the coffee reduction using a pastry brush.
3. Fill a pastry bag with zabaglione and pipe a rope of cream to fill the gap around the ladyfingers. Then, pipe cream across the top of the ladyfingers.
4. Place ladyfingers, sugar side out, against the sides of the pan in an upright position. Push them into the cream and make them fit tightly together.
5. Place another layer of ladyfingers on the cream layer. Cut in pieces when necessary to make a full layer. Brush with coffee reduction.
6. Pipe another layer of cream. Smooth with a spatula. Repeat.
7. Chill overnight.
8. Remove from springform pan. Peel away parchment paper. Sprinkle top with cocoa/powdered sugar mixture. If you didn’t use a springform pan, simply serve from the pan. Yum!
Tags: Nathan, tiramisu, zabaglione
