• Thanks to You And Tiramisu

Fig.1. This is a rustic looking tiramisu, this one is made directly on the serving plate; sometimes I'll make it in dessert cups, martini glasses or even in small Mason jars. (if you do it in a mason jar, add a few layers of your favorite jam.)


While I knew the Gazette article was coming out, I could never have anticipated the response it got. The e-mails are still coming in (I’ll respond to each, I just need a little time.) and the hits on The Hungry Italian are none stop. I really want to thank Susan Semenak again for taking the time to do the East End tour with me—it was a lot of fun.
I welcome all the new readers and look forward to obsessing and exploring all manners of cuisine with you. Keep the comments and questions coming, and, as I’ve mentioned many times before, if you have any old, family recipes that are under threat of extinction, send them to me. It’s our duty to keep traditions and proper foods alive.
As requested by some readers, I’m posting the tiramisu recipe which appeared in the Gazette with a few addendums.

This is a classic Tiramisu, free of cream and excess sugar. It’s important that the taste of the mascarpone cheese comes through.

Tiramisu
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

5 eggs, separated
4 tbsp of sugar
475 g of cold mascarpone cheese (one large container, also, if cheese gets too warm it can begin to separate—so keep it in the fridge until needed.)
2 tsp salt
2 tsp of vanilla extract
2 tbsp of rum (optional)
18 savoiardi cookies (I used cookies from Alati, which are larger, if using regular store bought; you’ll need 26 to 30.)
1 ½ cups strong espresso coffee, cold

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine egg yolks and sugar and beat well. In a separate bowl or electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Mix the cheese, salt, vanilla extract and rum with the egg yolk mixture, once combined, begin to gently fold in the egg whites. Pour half of the coffee (3/4 cup) into a 9” x 9” baking dish (pour the second half of the coffee only after the cookies have soaked up the first half). Working one cookie at a time, dip cookie into coffee for three seconds per side, any longer and the cookie will fall apart. In a serving plate, layer six cookies side by side, then spread 1/3 of the cheese mixture evenly over the cookies, repeat with remaining cookies and cheese mixture, making sure to cover the ends. (If you wish, you can apply the cheese all around the cake.) Cover and refrigerate for at least four hours or overnight. Sprinkle with cocoa powder, chocolate shavings, or crushed savoiardi cookies just before serving. The tiramisu can also be frozen for a couple of weeks. Place the cake in the freezer uncovered. Once the cheese mixture sets cover with plastic wrap. Thaw in the fridge overnight.