Two tiramisu recipes

I love tiramisu. I find in very hard not to order it from a menu - which is tricky in Mallorca because somehow nearly every restaurant seems to offer it. I’ve added it to my villa delivery menu and it’s been so popular - it’s the perfect thing to have waiting in the fridge for those afternoon snack moments or an easy pudding for a crowd.

I have a very favourite and trusted recipe for tiramisu from the Polpo cookbook. It’s a “proper” recipe which uses separated eggs to create a rich and decadent dessert which will impress even your foodiest friends. You whip up the egg whites and later fold them into the egg yolks, which you’ve whipped up with the sugar and masala prior. It’s just perfection - tiramisu as it was always meant to be. HOWEVER… sometimes, I’m sorry, I don’t have time for whipping and folding and separating eggs. So I developed a little cheat’s recipe for those moments when you want a quick, easy and delicious pudding without the fuss. I usually make this when I have something to use up, whether that’s cream, panettone or mascarpone. Whenever I notice something lurking about that could conceivably become a tiramisu, I put it all together and see what happens. It’s always delicious. I’m going to share both recipes here and I hope you’ll try both because they both have a place and serve very different purposes.



RECIPE 1 for Tiramisu - Polpo - make for dinner parties and celebrations

This makes twelve small ramekins or pots.

Ingredients

  • 6 double espressos (or 360ml very strong coffee), warm

  • 4 tablespoons dark rum

  • 150g caster sugar

  • 6 medium free-range eggs, separated

  • 120ml Marsala

  • 500mg mascarpone

  • 1 packet of Savoiardi sponge fingers (you need 24 biscuits)

  • Cocoa powder

Method

Start by combining the warm espresso coffee with the rum and 50g of the sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.

Separate the eggs and reserve the yolks in a large bowl. In another clean bowl, whisk the whites until they are stiff. Add the remaining sugar and the Marsala to the yolks. Whisk until pale and fluffy, add the mascarpone and gently stir it in. Fold the whisked whites into the yolk mixture.

For each glass you will need approximately 2 sponge fingers. Dip a sponge finger in the coffee mixture and let it absorb enough of the liquid to wet the whole thing without breaking it up. Place one half in the bottom of your glass. Spoon over 1 tablespoon of the mascarpone cream. Place the other half biscuit on top and spoon over another tablespoon of cream. At this point sprinkle over a little cocoa powder. Take another sodden sponge finger, break in two and lay both halves on top. Cover in a little more cream. Repeat this for all 12 glasses and store, covered in the fridge, for no fewer than 8 hours, so they are properly set.

Just before serving, liberally dust the top of the pots with cocoa powder.



Slice of tiramisu

RECIPE 2 for Tiramisu - my recipe - make for everyday dinners, weekend treats & anything in between

You can make this individually, as above, or in one large dish.

Ingredients

A note - the quantities of the following are completely variable. Just use what you have and adjust as you see fit. It’ll be good, I promise.

  • about 100ml strong coffee - espresso or similar. Instant at a pinch but I recommend fresh if you can.

  • Sponge fingers. Or panettone or vanilla sponge cake cut into manageable slices.

  • 250g mascarpone

  • 150ml double cream

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or paste

  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup

  • 2 tabslespoons cocoa powder

  • 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur or masala (or leave oiut the booze completely, that’s fine)

Method

Make the coffee and set aside to cool a bit while you make the cream mixture. Beat the mascarpone with an electric whisk (or by hand but it’s harder!) until smooth. Just a minute is fine. Add the cream and beat again until combined and smooth. Add the vanilla and maple syrup and beat briefly. Don’t beat for too long - you don’t want the cream to become too too thick. Add the liqueur to the coffee in a flat dish. Dip the spomge briefly into the coffee and place into your container. Repeat until you have a single layer of cake. Top with half the cream mix and smooth out. Lightly dust with cocoa powder. Repeat with another layer or sponge soaked in coffee and cream mix. Give it a final dusting of cocoa and put in the fridge. Refrigerate for at least two hours. When ready to serve, remove from the fridge and give it a final dusting of cocoa.

Let me know if you try either, or both, of these.

Enjoy!

KR x





Katherine Reeves