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Tiramisu Is Surprisingly Easy, Divine Dessert

partysugar — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 10:15:26 -0800

Tiramisu is one of my favorite desserts. I especially love to order it at restaurants, but the two times I've made it at home, I was utterly disappointed with the results. The ladyfingers fell apart, the custard was runny, the final dish was a soupy mess, and I vowed never to make it again. However, when I saw a recipe in the January issue of Gourmet magazine devoted to classic Italian-American cooking, I decided it was time to face my culinary fears.
I'm glad I did, the final result was scrumptiously successful: a rich, creamy tiramisu with pillowy filling and perfectly moist cake. The technique is simple, but an electric mixer is necessary. It's a great dessert for a dinner party or romantic meal, because it requires six hours of chill time - meaning it must be made in advance. I've added it to my repertoire, and will definitely be making this lovely dessert again. For you to do the same, read more.

Tiramisu
From Gourmet

Ingredients

2 cups boiling-hot water*
3 tablespoons instant-espresso powder*
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
3 tablespoons Tia Maria** (coffee liqueur)
4 large egg yolks
1/3 cup dry Marsala
1 pound mascarpone (2 1/2 cups)
1 cup chilled heavy cream
36 savoiardi (crisp Italian ladyfingers; from two 7-ounce packages)
Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting

Directions

Stir together water, espresso powder, 1 tablespoon sugar, and Tia Maria in a shallow bowl until sugar has dissolved, then cool.
Beat egg yolks, Marsala, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water using a whisk or handheld electric mixer until tripled in volume, 5 to 8 minutes.

Remove bowl from heat. Beat in mascarpone until just combined.
Beat cream in a large bowl until it holds stiff peaks.
Fold mascarpone mixture into whipped cream gently but thoroughly.

Dipping both sides of each ladyfinger into coffee mixture, line bottom of a 13- by 9- by 3-inch baking pan with 18 ladyfingers in 3 rows, trimming edges to fit if necessary.

Spread half of mascarpone filling on top. Dip remaining 18 ladyfingers in coffee and arrange over filling in pan.
Spread remaining mascarpone filling on top and dust with cocoa.
Chill, covered, at least 6 hours.
Let tiramisu stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving, then dust with more cocoa.

Serves 10-12.

Make ahead: Tiramisu can be chilled up to 2 days.

*You can substitute 2 cups freshly brewed espresso for the water and instant-espresso powder.

**I had Kahlua on hand, so I used that instead of Tia Maria.

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Theirs vs Mine: Quick Raspberry Charlotte

partysugar — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 16:13:33 -0700

After reading the French-themed March issue of Gourmet magazine, I could not stop thinking about this recipe for a quick raspberry charlotte. I finally got around to making this easy, tasty dessert last Friday night and it was deliciously rewarding!

Not-your-average dessert, this charlotte consists of ladyfingers, melted ice cream, and raspberries. The final result is refreshing and light. The hardest thing about this dessert was taking the picture. It may not have the prettiest presentation, but if you are looking for a lovely treat, I highly recommend this recipe. To check it out, read more.

Quick Raspberry Charlotte
From Gourmet magazine

Ingredients

7 ounces savoiardi (crisp Italian ladyfingers)
1 tablespoon Cognac or other brandy
1 pint premium vanilla ice cream, melted
10 ounces frozen raspberries (not in syrup)
1 cup water
Rounded 1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup chilled heavy cream
a 7- to 8-inch soufflé dish

Directions

Layer ladyfingers in soufflé dish.
Stir Cognac into melted ice cream and pour evenly over cookies. Let stand 10 minutes.
Purée, raspberries with water, sugar, and lemon juice in a blender until smooth.
Beat cream with an electric mixer or a whisk until it just holds stiff peaks, then add 3/4 cup raspberry sauce and continue to beat until mixture holds soft peaks.
Lightly press on cookies with a spatula to compact slightly, then drizzle 1/2 cup raspberry sauce over them.
Spread raspberry cream evenly on top and chill, covered, in freezer 30 minutes.
Serve charlotte with remaining raspberry sauce.

Serves 6-8.

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Tiramisu Two Ways - Beginner & Expert

partysugar — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:28:31 -0700

Tiramisu is one of my favorite desserts. I love the smooth, creamy filling and the light, melt in your mouth cake. I order tiramisu when eating at restaurants, but have only attempted to make it at home twice. Both times, I failed miserably and was unhappy with the end result. But practice makes perfect and I've finally built up the courage to experiment with tiramisu.

I've found two recipes - one for cooks new to the kitchen and another for more experienced chefs - so you should be able to make the tiramisu that suits your style. All you have to do is read more

Beginner Tiramisu
From Giada De Laurentiis

6 egg yolks*
3 tablespoons sugar
1 pound mascarpone cheese
1 1/2 cups strong espresso, cooled
2 teaspoons dark rum
24 packaged ladyfingers
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate shavings, for garnish

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale, about 5 minutes. Add mascarpone cheese and beat until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon of espresso and mix until thoroughly combined.
In a small shallow dish, add remaining espresso and rum. Dip each ladyfinger into espresso for only 5 seconds. Letting the ladyfingers soak too long will cause them to fall apart. Place the soaked ladyfinger on the bottom of a 13 by 9 inch baking dish, breaking them in half if necessary in order to fit the bottom.
Spread evenly 1/2 of the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers. Arrange another layer of soaked ladyfingers and top with remaining mascarpone mixture.
Cover tiramisu with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 8 hours.
Before serving, sprinkle with chocolate shavings.

Serves 6.

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Expert Tiramisu
From Wolfgang Puck

Ladyfingers:
Melted butter, for brushing pan
6 eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup cake flour, sifted
Mascarpone Cream:
6 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup Marsala
1/4 cup brandy
2 pounds mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
Espresso Syrup:
1 cup hot freshly brewed espresso
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup grated bittersweet chocolate

First, make the Ladyfingers: preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 12-by-16-inch baking tray with rim, line it with parchment paper, and brush the paper with butter.
In a mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks with 1/4 cup of the sugar until it is light in color and forms a ribbon when the beater is lifted out. Set aside.
In another mixing bowl, using clean beaters, whip the egg whites to soft peaks. Beating continuously, slowly pour in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and continue to beat until the whites form slightly drooping peaks when the beaters are lifted out.
Sift the flour again. With a rubber spatula, fold half of the flour into the yolk mixture. Fold in half of the egg whites. Then, fold in the remaining flour. Finally, fold in the remaining egg whites.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking tray and, with an offset spatula, carefully spread the batter to fill the tray. Bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature. This can be made up to 2 weeks in advanced, wrapped airtight in plastic wrap and foil, and stored in the freezer.
Next, make the Mascarpone Cream: in a medium heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar.
Add the Marsala and brandy. Place over a pan of boiling water, taking care that the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water, and cook, stirring, until the mixture reaches 160°F on a cooking thermometer. Continue to cook until the mixture resembles a thick paste, about 5 minutes more.
Remove from the double-boiler and place the bowl inside a larger bowl of ice water. Stir occasionally until the mixture has cooled to room temperature.
Put the mascarpone cheese in another bowl and, with an electric mixer, beat it until it forms soft peaks. Fold it into the cooled egg yolk mixture until well incorporated. This can be made up to 4 hours ahead, covered, and refrigerated.
Next, make the Espresso Syrup: in a heatproof mixing bowl, stir together the hot, freshly brewed espresso, the brown and granulated sugars, the lemon juice, and the vanilla, until the sugars have dissolved completely. Set aside.
To assemble the Tiramisu: cut the sheet of Ladyfinger cake into two 8-by-10-inch portions. Divide the Mascarpone Cream into 3 equal portions and the Espresso Syrup into 2 equal portions.
Spread a portion of the Mascarpone Cream over the bottom of a deep 8-by-10-inch dessert dish. Top with 1 sheet of the cake. Drizzle 1 portion of the syrup evenly over the cake. When it has soaked in, repeat with another layer of Mascarpone Cream, another sheet of cake, and more syrup.
Top with the remaining Mascarpone Cream and sprinkle that layer with the grated chocolate. Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting through the layers to form square or rectangular portions and serving.

Serves 8-12.

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Must-Read: Field Guide to Cookies

YumSugar — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 09:00:19 -0700

If you're completely over the cupcake craze but looking for other sweet entertaining ideas for Spring, consider the Field Guide to Cookies: How to Identify and Bake Virtually Every Cookie Imaginable ($10.87). Authored by Bay Area pastry veteran Anita Chu, the guide packs an impressive amount of information on the world's cookies into a rather teensy tome. Find out if this book would be a good match for you when you read more.

Pros:

Comprehensive notes include background information and history of each cookie, serving suggestions, and icons that indicate tools needed.
Nice balance of traditional favorites - such as gingersnaps, whoopie pies, and snickerdoodles - as well as ethnic favorites (Chinese almond cookies, baklava, lebkuchen, and stroopwafels).
Reasonably priced, durable paperback edition is practical and portable.

Cons:

Book feels small; tight binding makes it hard to keep book open on desired page.
The book didn't include instructional shots of baking techniques - only photos of finished cookies.

Recipes: The book has over 100 recipes for occasions throughout the year. A few that called my name:

Italian Easter cookies
French macaroons
Greek butter cookies
Buttercream thumbprints
Ladyfingers
Springerle
Pfeffernüsse

Imagery: Every cookie is photographed in a full-color photo index, so readers know exactly what to expect.

Overall Rating: This inexpensive cookie index contains something to please everybody, and its readable format makes it a great cookbook for cookie fanatics. If you don't have a cookbook stand, however, be prepared to be frustrated trying to stay on one page.

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