Tiramisu

This isn’t my recipe, and I didn’t tinker with it (much). I played it (almost) straight, and got exactly what I wanted. The beauty of following a precise recipe is that you know it’s going to come out all right.

Fluffy, light, delicate, a touch of bitter to offset the rich sweetness. Tiramisu continues to be one of my favorite desserts, and it’s not easy to find here in Ohio. Last time I had a piece, I paid $6 for the privilege. Not doing that again! Well, I paid more than that to make this, but it’s ok. I got a whole batch, not a single piece. And it was for my birthday, so it’s worth the extra layer on my hips. I won’t do this often… the First Reader took a polite bite and handed it back to me. Cold coffee flavor leaves him, well, cold.

This is not a dessert for the faint of heart: it involves raw eggs. Three of them, to be precise. There are other, less authentic recipes, that call for tempering the egg yolks and cheese through cooking, and then adding whipped cream instead of the whipped egg whites. The result is heavier, denser. This version is almost weightless in the mouth since the cookie has soaked all the liquid up and turned into delicious liqueur-sponge. 

From the Belgiosio website (I got it off the mascarpone container):

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup espresso or strong coffee, cooled (I used coffee)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp. rum
• 8 oz. BelGioioso Mascarpone
• 2 Tbsp. cocoa
• 10 ladyfingers (ok, I used almost a whole package but I wanted more layers)

Directions

• Step 1: Combine 3 egg yolks, 1 Tbsp. espresso, sugar and rum into large bowl. Beat 2-3 minutes. Add BelGioioso Mascarpone and beat 3-5 minutes until smooth.
• Step 2: In another bowl, combine 3 egg whites and a pinch of sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into Mascarpone mixture.
• Step 3: Quickly dip each ladyfinger into remaining espresso (I added another dollop of rum to the coffee) and layer on bottom of small serving dish. Spread Mascarpone mixture and sprinkle with cocoa. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. (overnight is better)

And the best part? I don’t have to go out to restaurant when I want a piece. I can just pull it out of the refrigerator and cut a piece. But if you’re being really generous and sharing, this will serve six, with decent-sized pieces. In other words, I’ll be eating it for a week. Ha! Happy Birthday to me.

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