It’s been a while. School has been stressful beyond belief and my job has just been emotionally draining. It’s been hard to really sit down and write blog posts but I’ve been cooking and baking still and my camera is slowly filling up with all these pictures I keep taking. As I’ve said in my past few posts, I’ve been fairly stressed and slowly overwhelmed with just general life things. But things are looking up, I have been in the hunt for a new job and I just accepted a new position that should be great for my personal and professional growth. I’m still waiting on a start date but at least I have an offer!
But even though I’m stressed I still bake and recently I baked one of my all-time favorite Italian desserts: tiramisu. Now anyone who knows me knows I’m not a big coffee lover. I only drink it in desperation of exhaustion. Green tea is my jam but I do love coffee flavored things. I’m an enigma—what can I say?
The thing I love about tiramisu is that it’s a very light dessert. I’ve been making tiramisu for years and you’d be surprised how wonderfully easy it is. I’ve adapted this recipe from Cooking With Ruthie and the recipe is a dream. It’s not overly sweet and because the ladyfingers (or savoiardi) absorb the espresso and become very moist and fluffy. I also love mascarpone. I started getting in this trend of just getting a small tub of mascarpone and enjoying it with some fresh fruit, like strawberries and blueberries. It’s like a fancy Italian parfait.
Mascarpone is an Italian cream cheese that is sweeter than what we spread on a bagel. It can be a bit on the spendy side at the grocery store but I think it’s pretty damn delicious. The Belgioioso brand is my go to supplier of mascarpone but I’m sure if you go to a gourmet European store you might find higher quality stuff.
Tiramisu has the reputation of being difficult or seemingly complicated. Well I have a recipe that is pretty simple and just requires a few steps. Like all good things though this tiramisu requires patience. You want to let the flavors really develop overnight as the espresso soaks into the ladyfingers and infuses itself with the mascarpone layers.
Now when you scroll down and read the recipe I’m sure you’ll say “woah uncooked egg yolks…is that safe?” Yes, it is safe to use uncooked egg yolks in this recipe and I’ll tell you why. You hear “raw egg” and immediately associate it with salmonella, and with fair reason. We’re told that if you eat uncooked eggs you might contract salmonella but with egg yolks the risk is very low. You can reduce the risk if you use pasteurized eggs and since the tiramisu is refrigerated the bacteria is unlikely to form.
Like I said before, tiramisu seems super complex but once you make it once you’ll realize that it actually is extremely simple—and extremely fancy. Definitely is a way to wow your friends at a party if you arrive with this amazing fancy dessert. Who needs to go to a 5-star restaurant when you can make quality dessert in the comfort of your own kitchen? Sounds like a great alternative to me.
Tiramisu
Serves 16
Ingredients
4 large eggs, separated
1 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar (1 tablespoon for the whipped cream)
2 cups mascarpone cheese
1 ½ cups brewed espresso, cooled
48 store-bought ladyfingers (you might not use all 48)
1 cup heavy cream
Cocoa powder
Dark chocolate, grated or shaved
Instructions
In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks and 1 cup of sugar until light fluffy. Stir in the mascarpone cheese until well-combined.
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until you have soft peaks. Gently fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mascarpone mixture.
Dip the ladyfingers in the cooled espresso and lay in rows in a 9x13 baking dish. Spread half of the mascarpone cream on top of the first layer. Repeat with the remaining ladyfingers. Spread the remaining mascarpone cream to top the second layer.
In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream and remaining sugar until you form stiff peaks. Layer the whipped cream on top of the mascarpone cream.
Dust with cocoa powder and garnish with the grated or shaved dark chocolate. Refrigerate overnight.
Godere! (Enjoy!)
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