I’ve never considered myself as an expert in culinary arts. Well…not until the past few months, at least. After I started having some free time on hand, after those gruesome hours of residency training, I’ve been venturing into finding the inner chef in me. Of course, I still call my mom, who makes the most delicious food on this planet earth, for her time-tested recipes and jot down every single detail in the recipe book that I’ve recently procured from Borders. I still have to go through every little detail that I’ve written down in the book, before the entree is ready for serving.
Tiramisu has carved a niche in my heart from the first time I tasted it in 2004. Since then, I’ve always made it a point to scan each and every menu at the restaurants that we go to, looking for Tiramisu. I used to visit a local HEB on a weekly basis for their Tiramisu ice creams and shed a few tears when they stopped selling that. For sometime, Baskin Robbins, the ice cream shoppe had Tiramisu as their “Flavor of the Month” and I was the happiest gal on the planet for that month. Then, they stopped making that too….Nowadays, I satisfy myself mostly with the Tiramisu that the local grocery stores sell.
And, then, I came across a recipe for Tiramisu that changed my life. It is an easy one and even amatuer chefs can try it and emerge as a winner. And, WIN I did…I tried my hand at a local dessert competition this month, held by the Malayalee community of Austin and emerged as the winner. So, this recipe will remain close to my heart…as it helped me to boost the confidence in my culinary skills.
Before we go into the recipe, here’s a little history on Tiramisu aka Tuscan Truffle:
Tiramisu was initially created in Siena, in the northwestern Italian province of Tuscany. The occasion was a visit by Grand Duke Cosimo de’Medici III, in whose honor the concoction was dubbed zuppa del duca (the “duke’s soup”). The erstwhile duke brought the dessert back with him to Florence. In the 19th Century, zuppa del duca became popular among the English intellectuals and artists who lived there Consequently, it is also known as zuppa Inglese. They took the dessert to England, where its popularity grew. Zuppa del duca eventually made its way to Treviso, just northwest of Venice, in the northeastern province of Veneto. Treviso is best known for its canals, frescoes and Tiramisu.
Stories are told about how Tiramisu was the favorite of Venice’s courtesans, who needed a “pick me up” (the literal translation of “tirami-su”) to fortify themselves between their amorous encounters. True? Probably not. But it makes for a colorful history. Its American popularity arose in San Francisco, and today, Tiramisu can be found in restaurants throughout the nation. As far as India is concerned, Tiramisu is he most favorite dessert of the Congress leader, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, who’s an Italian national.
Here goes the great recipe:
Ingredients
• Eggs, 3 large, with yolks and whites separated
• Sugar, 1/2 cup
• Mascarpone cheese, 8 ounces
• Ladyfingers, 20
• Espresso or Strong Coffee, 1 cup
• Cognac or Brandy, 2 tablespoons
• Cocoa, 1/8 cup
Directions
1. Combine 3 egg yolks, 1 tablespoon Espresso, sugar, and Cognac into the large mixing bowl.
2. Beat 2 to 3 minutes
3. Add Mascarpone and beat 3 to 5 minutes until consistency is smooth
4. In another bowl, combine 3 egg whites and a pinch of sugar. Beat until mixture forms stiff peaks
5. Gently fold into Mascarpone mixture
6. Soak each lady finger in espresso, and layer on bottom of serving dish. If the consistency of the lady fingers is not spongy enough, you can pour some espresso over the layer of the lady fingers.
7. Spread 1/3 of Mascarpone mixture and sprinkle with cocoa
8. Continue layering w/ ladyfingers and finish with a Mascarpone layer
9. Using a tea strainer, sprinkle rest of the cocoa powder on top.
10. Cover and place in fridge for at least 4 hours (Overnight is best for the flavors to develop. It tastes even better after 2 days.)
11. Makes 6 servings.
Finally, a picture of my creation that won me the accolade:
How did I make the heart shape??? I used a cookie cutter!!!! Its THAT simple!!!!
One more view:
And, one more….( I swear..this is the last one!!!!). Here, you can see some of my creation’s competitors as well:
