TIRAMISU - revised!

Dessert

Every year, at Christmas, tiramisu` is pretty much mandatory. Here below is our tested and tasted recipe, made more times than I can count, never failed once! You can use pandoro or panettone, instead of ladyfingers, but you have to really be careful when soaking the cakes, or they will break up and not hold the slices. You can use the cream, though, to accompany the slightly toasted panettone or pandoro slices, maybe topping them with chopped nuts and/or drizzling them with hot chocolate sauce. In case you don't know this already, “tiramisu`” means “pick me up”.

2 8oz cups Mascarpone
6 extra large eggs, at room temperature
6 tbsp sugar
1 pkg ladyfingers (17 oz)
Cold espresso coffee
salt
Unsweetened cocoa powder

Divide the eggs: yolks in one big bowl and whites in another one. Put sugar in yolks and whisk them until they become pale yellow (near to white); at this point add mascarpone and whisk to combine.

Wash the beaters well and dry them. Add a couple good pinches of salt to the whites (it will help you and you won't taste it). Whisk whites until they hold peaks and, when turning the bowl upside down, they won't fall (as I show in the video).

Stir 2-3 tbsp of whites into the yolk mixture to lighten it up, since it's really dense.

Fold the remaining whites into the yolk cream and combine CAREFULLY, REALLY CAREFULLY, mixing from bottom up, NOT in circles.

At this point put coffee in a bowl and add liqueur if it's only for adults or milk if there are kids too.

Quickly dip ladyfingers in the coffee and line on the bottom of a deep serving dish, then cover with cream, dust with cocoa and repeat for another layer; do not top with cocoa powder until it's time to serve it.

Cover with plastic wrap (or lid, if your serving dish has one) and refrigerate overnight.

Serves about 10 people.

Traditional tiramisu`

Ricotta tiramisu`

- You can use rum, brandy or amaretto. Add the liqueur to your coffee, NOT to the cream.
- Always prepare it the day before: this way ladyfingers will soak all flavors and won't be dry.
- Always use room temperature eggs: it will be a quicker whisking. Adding salt to the whites will help you with that, and you won't taste it.
- You can use ricotta cheese, instead of mascarpone, if you like it. In the picture of the tiramisu` made with ricotta cheese, there is some shaved Italian dark chocolate.
- You can see our video here