Conference turris::cooks

	From The New Basics



			  TIRAMISU


	3 egg yolks
	2 T. confectioners' sugar
	2 T. orange-flavored liqueur
	1 T. sweet Marsala
	8 oz mascarpone cheese
	6 T. strong coffee or espresso (cold)
       12    ladyfingers, broken into thirds
	2 oz milk chocolate, grated


	1.  Beat the egg yolks and confectioners' sugar
	    together with an electric mixer until pale
	    and thick.  Slowly beat in 1 T. of the liqueur
	    and the Marsala.  Add the mascarpone; beat
	    until the mixture is thick and smooth.

	2.  In a small bowl, combine the coffee and the
	    remaining 1 T. of liqueur.  Drop three lady-
	    finger pieces in the bottom of each of 6
	    wine glasses.  Drizzle half the coffee mix-
	    ture over the ladyfingers.  Spoon in half 
	    the mascarpone, and sprinkle with 1/2 the
	    grated chocolate.

	3.  Repeat the layers with the remaining lady-
	    fingers, coffee, mascarpone, and chocolate.
	    Cover and chill for 2 hours before serving.

	    6 portions




	Notes:  The New Basics Cookbook mentions that the
	name "Tiramisu" means "pick me up."  A genoise may
	be substituted for ladyfingers.

	We decided (quite spur of the moment) to try this
	recipe when I happened to spot a container of mascar-
	pone in the refrigerated section of an Italian special-
        ty store. The owner explained that mascarpone is the
	Italian version of cream cheese.  It's much richer and
	sweeter than American-style cream cheese.  The store
	also had a copy of The New Basics Cookbook, so we pur-
	chased the necessary ingredients and made this dessert
	that night.  We are not accomplished in the kitchen,
	and still managed to assemble a yummy dessert; if we
	can make this recipe, anyone can!

	Since then, I have seen several varieties of Tiramisu.
	This is by far the least complex.

	Finally, this dessert is similar to cheesecake. That 
	is, one can make it initially following the recipe,
	and in subsequent versions try some substituting. I
	prefer dark chocolate, and I'm sure other liqueurs
	would be fun to try.  I think when summer rolls around,
	I'll get real creative and add fresh strawberries.



	

    This is a different recipe for Tiramisu' than the one posted
    previously.  I was in Varese, Italy on business and was fortunate
    enough to get invited home for dinner by a colleague.  His wife served
    Tiramisu' for dessert.  I was really impressed and got her recipe.  I
    have americanized some of the measures.  I got the mascarpone and
    savoiardi biscuits at the North End Deli in Nashua.  They don't
    normally carry these ingredients but can get them with several days
    notice.  I have not tried using ladyfingers.  The savoiardi biscuits
    have a different texture, but soften a great deal when dipped in the
    coffee so I assume the end result is the same as with ladyfingers. 
    Unfortunately, there is no substitute for the mascarpone.
    
Ingredients

	2 eggs
	2 table spoons of sugar
	500 grams of "Mascarpone"
	3 table spoons of Brandy
	3 table spoons of Marsala wine
	300 grams of "Savoiardi" biscuits
	6 cups of strong black coffee
	2 table spoons of unsweetened cacao powder
	toasted almonds

	Break the eggs separating yolks in a bowl and whites in 
	another one.

	Whisk the "Mascarpone" until smooth using a wood spoon.

	Whisk the yolks with sugar (2 spoons), than add the "Mascarpone"
	and fold together until you get an homogeneous cream.

	Continue to fold in Brandy and Marsala Wine with the cream.

	Beat egg whites until stiff and fold them into the cream.

	Pour the coffee into a bowl. 

	Dip the "Savoiardi" biscuits in the coffee one at a time and 
	lay them in a Pyrex dish forming a first layer.

	Cover the first biscuit layer with half of the cream than add
	another layer of biscuits as before and cover it with the
	remaining cream.

	Let the cake cool in refrigerator for at least two hours.
	
	Before serving, sift the cacao powder on top of the cake, then 
	garnish with sliced almonds.

    

    
    In case you're interested, here's the recipe from Giuliano Bugialli's
    Classic Techniques of Italian Cooking:
    
    	Tiramisu	         	Serves 12
    	--------
    
        8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
    	24 ladyfingers [Bugialli's recipe follows]
    
    		Note: If the ladyfingers are not homemade, toast them
    		in a 375-degree oven for about 15 minutes.
    
    	2 cups strong espresso coffee, cooled
    	6 eggs, separated
    	6 heaping tablespoons granulated sugar
    	1 pound mascarpone [Bugialli's recipe available if you want it]
    
    		Note: If you do not make your own mascarpone,
    		substitute 1/2 pound ricotta and 1 cup heavy cream.
    		Even just ricotta (1 pound) will work satisfactorily.
    		Blend in a food processor until a light cream forms.
    
    	Chop the chocolate coarsely or cut it into small pieces.
    	Put the ladyfingers on a plate and lightly soak them with the
    	cold coffee.  Arrange half of the ladyfingers in one layer
    	on a rectangular or oval serving dish with sides at least
    	2 inches high.
    	While the ladyfingers are soaking, use a wooden spoon to mix the
    	egg yolks together with the sugar in a crockery bowl.  Mix until
    	the sugar is completely incorporated and the egg yolks turn a
    	lighter color.  Then add the mascarpone and stir gently.  In
    	a copper bowl, beat the egg whites with a wire whisk until they
    	are stiff.  Gently fold the whites into the mascarpone-egg yolk-
    	sugar mixture.
    	Use half of this mixture to make a layer on top of the ladyfingers
    	in the serving dish.  Sprinkle with half of the chopped chocolate.
    	Repeat the procedure to make another layer of soaked ladyfingers,
    	the mascarpone mixture, and the chopped chocolate. 
    	Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 1 hour
    	before serving.
    
    
          Pasta Savoiarda/Savoiardi
    	(Homemade Italian Ladyfingers)
    	------------------------------
    	
    	Yield: about 50
    
    	6 extra large, separated eggs
    	1 cup granulated sugar
    	1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
    	3 ounces (app. 1/2 cup) potato starch
    	Grated rind of 1 orange
    	Pinch of salt
    
    	Plus:
    	1 tablespoon granulated sugar
    
    	Put the yolks and the whites into two separate large crockery
        bowls.  Add the sugar and stir with a wooden spoon in a rotating
    	motion until all the sugar is completely incorporated and the
    	egg yolks are a very light color (about 15 minutes).
    	Mix the flour and the potato starch together and start adding
    	the mixture to the beaten yolks in a slow steady stream, stirring
    	continuously with a wooden spoon.  Add the grated orange rind
    	and stir very well.
    	Butter and lightly flour 2 cookie sheets with potato starch.
    	Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
    	Use a wire whisk to beat the egg whites stiff in a copper bowl,
    	adding the pinch of salt.  Gently fold the stiff egg whites into
    	the batter.  Scoop some of the batter into a pastry bag without
    	a tip.  Squeeze the batter out of the bag to form strips of batter
    	about 3 inches long.
    	Sprinkle the tablespoon of sugar over the prepared strips of
    	batter and let them rest for about 5 minutes before placing them on
    	the middle shelf in the oven.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or
    	until they are lightly golden brown.  Remove from the oven, detach
    	them with a spatula and transfer them to a rack to cool completely.
    
    	Note:  The oven temperature should not be too high or the
    	pastries will dry out.  They should emerge having risen a bit
    	in the oven, but crisp.
     

Here is the recipe:

			TIRAMISU

	3 Eggs
	1 Ht Sugar
	1 Ht Butter
	3 Ht Creamy Cheese (In Italy we use the kind that is 
			    called 'Mascarpone')
	3 Ht Sponge Biscuit (We use 'Savoiardi')
	     Cold Bitter Coffee
	     Cognac
	     Cocoa Powder

Mix in a bowl the 3 jolks with the softned butter and sugar.
Add the chees and cognac. Whip egg whites until stiff, add then to the mixture.
In a rectangular perex make the first lajer with the biscuits deeped 
in the coffee only for one side, cover with the cream, go on making lajers
of biscuits and cream (For the other biscuits lajer depp the biscuits on 
both side in the coffee), Finish with a cream lajer and cover it with the 
cocoa powder.

Put in the refriggerator for 1 h. , then 'Buon Appetito !!!'.
Gea.

    The cream wont seem or be stiff enough if:
    
    1. the ratio of cream to savoirdi biscuits is too high
    2. the ration of egg and liquor to cheese in the cream is too high
    3. the egg whites are not beaten extremely stiff
    4. the tiramisu' is not refrigerated for enough time before consumption
    
    

    I made Tiramisu at the weekend using the correct mascarpone cheese.
    However, I was wondering whether anyone has tried substituting the 
    italian cream cheese for any other cream cheese as the italian cheese
    is quite expensive compared to normal cream cheese and what the results
    were like.
    
    One thing I noted was that I used Camp coffee in some glasses, and 
    strong black coffee in others.  The ones with the Camp coffee
    definately tasted better due to the stronger flavour.
    
    Definately a receipe to use again.....
    
    julia

    Julia,  I haven't had the Italian cream cheese, so I can't compare, but
    I have made a marscapone with Philly brand cream cheese and it came out
    great.
    
    I imagine this would be a shock and a horror to anyone who has been in
    Europe and experience the real thing, but it worked for me.

>>    I have made a marscapone with Philly brand cream cheese and it came out
>>    great.

	probably quite tasty, but still i would imagine it would be
	signficantly different - mascarpone doesn't taste like cream cheese.

�	probably quite tasty, but still i would imagine it would be
�	signficantly different - mascarpone doesn't taste like cream cheese.
    
    I'll have to check the recipe.  I believe there was some other stuff in
    there in addition to the cream cheese.

    
    I've made Tiramisu with half cream cheese and half quark as I
    can't get mascarpone here (Galway, Ireland.) It doesn't taste the
    same, but its still yummy. I prefer the quark/cream cheese 
    mixture to all cream cheese, which IMHO is rather bland.  But then
    I also prefer the quark mixture in other things like cheese cakes.
    
    BTW, if there are any other GAO/DBO noters in here, I'd be eternally
    grateful for a pointer to a mascarpone supplier here - or even in
    Dublin (Ireland.)
     

    Blimey, I've just looked up the word quark in the trusty dictionary and
    I quote " component of elementary particles".
    
    What is THAT?
    
    julia

    
    Oooops, I should have explained that you should only use the
    'up' and the 'down' types of quark, as the 'strangeness' and
    'charm' types are liable to go lumpy (quantum physics joke ...
    sorry !! ) :-)
    
    As far as I know, quark is german. Its a type of low-fat soft
    cheese, a bit like 'sharp' natural cottage cheese in taste, but 
    smooth rather than lumpy.
    
    Just to go further down the rat-hole, I'd always thought that
    the elementary particle was named after the cheese. But according
    to the Royal Society physics lectures last Christmas, its actually
    a reference to James Joyce.
    
    Hmmmm ....
    
    Grainne Ni Choiligh @ILO.
    
    

    Either from the gastronomic or Heisenberg (sp) principle
    
    Quark, approximately but not entirely equal to Fromage Frais.
    
    Angus

RE: .24

Unless what you're cooking is a batch of Lucky Charms cereal, in which case 
you use charmed quarks, of course.  Also, use green quarks for St. 
Patrick's day.

--PSW

I think it's spelled tiramisu.  Try looking in this conference under 
that name.

--PSW

>>I think it's spelled tiramisu.  Try looking in this conference under 
>>that name.

Check out 2244 and replies.  Normally tiramisu calls for raw eggs, but I 
wouldn't recommend it that way.  I found a pretty good recipe in an Italian 
cookbook awhile back and then played with it until I had developed my own 
recipe.  

It's been several months since I made this, so I may have forgotten something, 
but as far as I remember the recipe I saw in the cookbook called for:
2 1/2" thick slices of pound cake (I prefer to make my own thin cakes out of 
	crushed lady fingers, chocolate, espresso, and Tia Maria).
Over one piece of pound cake you drizzle espresso and orange or coffee 
	flavored liqueur (I prefer Tia Maria, but it is costly).  
Over that you spread 1/2 a mixture of whipping cream (whipped, of course), 
	mascarpone cheese, and powdered sugar.  (I suppose you could use 
	something like Cool Whip in place of the whipping cream and powdered 
	sugar, but I imagine it would be quite a bit sweeter).
Top this with 2nd slice of pound cake; drizzle again with espresso and liqueur, 
	and top with remaining cheese mixture.

Fridge for a couple of hours.

-th-