Tiramisu – I think everyone has heard of Tiramisu, it can be found in nearly every supermarket and corner shop in small plastic containers.
I don’t know if it has been done to death but I have to admit that I really love the homemade version. It’s light to eat, with a boozy creamy texture and easy to make.
Tiramisu means ‘pick me up’ in Italian. What is surprising is that is not an old recipe. It was first made and eaten in a restaurant called ‘Le Beccherie’ in a town called Treviso in Italy. I wonder back in the 1970’s did they ever imagine how popular that dessert would become?
I don’t know what the original Tiramisu recipe was but I hope that this one doesn’t disgrace itself. There are no real short cuts; neither do I feel I would want to substitute any of the ingredients for cheaper ones. I have put down the make of sponge fingers as Savoiardi because I have made the recipes with supermarket brands and the results are not as good. There are so many versions of this recipe but, this is the one I really like.
This is definitely a pudding worth making yourself.
Tiramisu – Pick me up
Ingredients
20 Savoiardi biscuits (these are worth looking out for)
180 ml/6 fl oz strong black espresso coffee
5 tbs Marsala
250 g/9 oz Mascarpone
2 eggs separated
2 tbs castor sugar
4 drops vanilla extract
cocoa powder to decorate
Method
Make the coffee – I use a Bialetti Brikka stove top two cup coffee maker, I fill the filter with illy coffee to the top not pushing it down and fill the base up to the top with water. This is my version on how strong I like my coffee you can adjust this part of the recipe if you like. When its ready I pour the coffee into a dish and add the Marsala and stir. Leave it to cool a little.
Separate the eggs into two bowls. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar and vanilla until pale and then add the Mascarpone and mix gently – don’t over beat but make sure it is mixed in well. In the other bowl beat the egg whites until stiff and sitting up in peaks now fold them into the Mascarpone bowl.
One packet of Savoiardi biscuits usually comes in two sections – this recipe will use one section of biscuits leaving the other section for another day. Take each biscuit and dip it into the coffee and Marsala and place in a shallow dish (I have found a dish which is just wide enough for a row of biscuits and one biscuit on its side) don’t leave too long in the dip as the biscuit sucks up the liquid and will break. After I have dipped all the biscuits and covered the bottom of my dish with them I pour over any left over liquid.
Pour the Mascarpone mixture over the biscuits and level with a knife – put in the fridge and leave. If I am making this for the following day I cover with cling film.
Before serving dust with cocoa powder.
Maria Dernikos 
I love Tiramisu at Christmas! Such a lovely rich dessert!
A great recipe for a favorite dessert. Thanks for sharing.
Hello Maria,
I am your 52nd follower! 😀
–This evening, with an undivided attention, I went through your very elegant and delicious blog. You have many recipes I sure would like to try, such as Gâteau Breton!
–Being married to a Greek-American, I’m not a stranger to the Greek cuisine. I love the cuisine and have made couple of the ones you have on this blog, but not as beautifully as you have. I still have to learn a lot.
–I picked this post to comment on as I am making Tiramisu this week (for the first time) to post next week. My recipe does not use the whites of the eggs. Does the original/authentic recipe use the whites? Or, is it by individual’s taste basis?
–I look forward to your new posts! 😀 Fae.
Thank you Fae. I am very honored that you read my entire blog and very much appreciate your kind comments.
What is really a surprise was yesterday during a long car journey I recited your wonderful story on how your mother outsmarted the authorities with the vegetables. We then went on to discuss the powers of mothers.
I don’t think that the egg whites are essential – I am guessing you are replacing the eggs with cream? In my recipe the egg whites create a lightness and of course volume. One of the things I would worry about is using the eggs in the recipe if I was unsure where they came from, as of course they are used in their raw state.
I have never seen the original recipe no doubt the restaurant that created it wouldn’t recognise what we call Tiramisu today! I look forward to reading your version and trying it.