*dimsumdolly* - the different morsels of the life of a foodie

Tiramisu

I love tiramisu. It's one of my favourite desserts. I don't care how fattening it is, but I just can't resist a good tiramisu. The one pictured above was the one I had at the Fullerton Hotel lounge. It was pretty good, except I thought it could have done with a bit more alcohol. I like my ladyfingers moist with an abundance of alcohol! One of my favourite places for tiramisu in Singapore is Pasta Brava.

Anyway, I learnt more about the dessert recently after reading an essay on it by American food writer James Villas. Did you know that tiramisu literally means "pick-me-up" in Venetian dialect? What a delightful name isn't it? It sure is my pick-me-up and comfort food!

Villas went on a quest to unearth the origins of this traditional Italian dessert and he found out that tiramisu was first concocted in or around Venice toward the end of the 18th century.

By the end of the 18th century, coffee, sugar, and cocoa were arriving in Venice in greater quantities such that there were enough to be used in cooking. Mascarpone, a creamy and fresh farm cheese integral to tiramisu, was also being produced in the Veneto and neigbouring Lombardy.

According to Villas, tiramisu flourished as a favourite dessert throughout northeastern Italy for about a century. Then in 1962, restauranteur Alfredo Beltrame opened a restaurant in Treviso called Ristorante da Alfredo "with the express purpose of exposing the travelling public to as many authentic specialities of the Veneto as possible--tiramisu included". Beltrame went on to open many more restaurants thus spreading the "creamy gospel of tiramisu".

Read further for Villas' recipe of this sinfully delightful dessert.

Tiramisu da Alfredo

5 cups strong, cold espresso coffee
32 savoiardi (Italian ladyfingers)
10 large egg yolks
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 pound mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons Marsala wine
2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Pour the cold coffee into a large pie plate. Dip 16 of the ladyfingers very quickly into the coffee and line the bottom of a 12 x 9 x 2-inch oval dish with the ladyfingers.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar till frothy. Add the mascarpone and Marsala and whisk till well blended and smooth. In another bowl, whisk the cream till stiff and fold into the mascarpone mixture till well blended and smooth.

Using a large pastry bag, pipe about half of the mixture over the ladyfingers. Dip the remaining ladyfingers quickly into the coffee, arrange another layer of ladyfingers in an attractive design. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 6 hours. (The tiramisu can be frozen up to 2 months.)

When ready to serve, sprinkle the cocoa powder through a fine sieve over the entire surface of the tiramisu. Spoon portions onto individual dessert plates and serve with large spoons.

Posted by DSD at December 6, 2005 9:31 AM