Tiramisu was invented in an Italian brothel, where it was a
popular snack with customers looking for a little restorative treat after
certain strenuous activities. Tiramisu actually means “pick-me-up,” which of
course makes it the best culinary double entendre in history.
Besides the great story, it really is the perfect romantic
occasion dessert. This heady, mood-elevating concoction is a rich and deeply
satisfying, yet remarkably light in texture. I know someone will ask, so yes
you can use regular cream cheese, but mascarpone is far superior, and it is
Valentine’s Day after all.
I did these as two, rather large individual portions, but
this could be easily stretched into four cups, or layered in a square baking
dish, as is more traditional. Don’t over-think it; no matter what you use,
it’s basically three layers of mascarpone mixture around two layers of
coffee-dipped ladyfingers.
They say you can tell how good your Valentine's dessert was, by whether or not you end up also having to cook breakfast. Which reminds me, if you make this, be sure to not use up the last of the eggs. I really hope you give this tiramisu a try soon. Enjoy!
They say you can tell how good your Valentine's dessert was, by whether or not you end up also having to cook breakfast. Which reminds me, if you make this, be sure to not use up the last of the eggs. I really hope you give this tiramisu a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 2 large or 4 small portions:
1/2 cup espresso with 2 tbsp Marsala wine for dipping
cookies
10 or 12 ladyfinger cookies, broken in half if making cups
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons plus one teaspoon white sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
3/4 cup mascarpone cheese (6 oz)
2 large egg whites
cocoa for dusting
dark chocolate for shaving
50 comments:
Dear Sir John,
Thank you for making life in general a lot more fun.
My no-knead bread is rising in the room next to me.
I've grown fond of the occasional where the cups are making life so much were difficult than strictly necessary.
But then I remember your philosophy that perfectly round is just reserved for the slightly insane.
Also to enlighten you for once: Disaronno is the liquor of choice for a tiramisu.
Thank you for the background story.
Bravo, bravissimo... a very good tiramisù recipe! Sei sempre il migliore
Bravo, bravissimo! A very good tiramisù recipe. Sei sempre il migliore...
last year's souffle was better
I have been using this exact recipe for years now (It was called Sylvia's Tiramisu in the book). The combination of flavours are very well balanced and as Chef John says, very light and frankly has got me L.. L.. Lots of compliments.. :).. Enjoy!
Thank you chef John! It looks marvelous. I can't wait to make it.
What kind of espresso machine do you have Chef John?
ESpresso, not EXpresso.
Grazi! This looks amazing!
Chef John~ This is perfect for Vday!! Thanks for the inspiration!
💝
Were those La Tourangelle oils in your fridge?
I only have dry marsala, will that work?
Hey Chef John! awesome desert! will make it for my mrs. on Valentines Day. The only thing missing was the drum roll, when you said," if it was good enough for those johns, its good enough for this John". Lmao... missed the badump bum..luv your sense of humor ttyl your friend willy in Newfoundland Canada".
Chef: I had a super smooth looking mascarpone/egg yolk mixture but I continued to whisk and it ended up really chunky. It resembled scrambled eggs almost. It still tasted fine, but I'm wondering if this is normal and if it'll smooth back out over night. I don't want my valentine to think I'm serving scrambled eggs for dessert!
Chef John,
What would you recommend as a lactose, casein-free replacement for this cheese?
I must make these!
Sorry, I don't know!
Ryan, no that's not normal (otherwise mine would have looked like that ;)
Sounds like overcooked eggs to me! I'd start over.
Is that a Gaggia by any chance?
Chef John,
What is the size of the glasses you used for serving and where did you get them? I'd like to order the same set. Thanks.
Hi chef,
i really like tiramisu a lot. But i have a question. Is it necessary to put wine in the espresso ?? I didnt have any wine in my kitchen. Will it affect the outcome of the tiramisu ??
Thank you ~~
Yes! It will! It won't have that flavor.
I think 10 oz but don't know brand! Got at a hardware store.
I have to agree with Basil here, Amaretto is the alcohol of choice for a tiramisu! Please include it in the list!
Also, how is it that both the sugar cookies as well as the African / Indian vegetable is called ladyfingers? That seems confusing! The German word for ladyfingers translates to "spoon biscuits" - the more you know!
Nice machine...show off! :0) Just kiddin' but seriously, nice machine.
Okay I updated with amoretti!!
It's a Breville :)
Dear Chef John:
When I made the egg yolk/mascarpone mixture I made sure the cheese was well melted and mixed, it looked very creamy (last time this wasn't the case). But once I added the egg white batter it started looking very granulated, is this because of over cooked eggs, egg whites not battered well?
Also, is there a way to make the tiramisu custard/cream more dense? Thank you in advance!
Sincerely,
Wing Chiu Ng
I am *SO* making this tonight for dinner tomorrow (Valentines day)! Hope I also get ... uhm .. err .. compliments, too. For this and breakfast. hehhehe!
I had the same issue as Wing Chiu Ng. I tried to redo this recipie 3 times and my mixure looked very granulated and more yellow in color. I am not sure why. I was disappointed that it didn't turn out as smooth looking as yours did in the video.
Thanks for the feedback, Chef. My mixture still looks really grainy and gross, but it tastes delicious! I'm just going to cover the whole thing with cocoa powder and roll with it.
I'm just curious to why it didn't look grainy until after I incorporated the mascarpone. I'd think that if the eggs were overcooked, I'd notice before adding the mascarpone.
Ryan, the same thing happened to my mixture. The egg yolk and sugar mixture was really smooth, then after I incorporated the mascarpone, it became this disgusting, grainy mess. I still used it, and it was delicious, but I'm curious to find out if there is a way to stop this from happening.
It is grainy when you first mix in the cheese, but as you keep whisking it smooths out like mine! I think you guys are not whipping in enough. Are you use a whisk? Is your cheese super cold? (harder to mix in). There is nothing in this recipe that will clump up!
I think the culprit is the cold cheese. I had the same issue and had taken the cheese straight out of the fridge. I put it back on the double boiler with just the residual heat in the water (stove OFF) and it smoothed out beautifully!
It was probably the cold cheese. I will try again soon and report back on my results. Thanks for your responses Chef John and Unknown person.
Greetings Chef! I'll has ya' done knows 'dat my finicky-lady friend done made me 'sum Tirimisu for Valentine's Day. And while it wasn't the "toe-curling" delicacy she had promised, it was nevertheless as good an excuse as any to use up 'sum of my Spiced Rum from my vagrant-on-a-boat sailing days.
Incidentally my lady-friend also done tolds' me that she tended to an eighty year-old patient the other day. The patient claims 'dat his wife got him an S.U.V. for Valentine's Day. ...Sox, Underwear and Viagra.
Thanks! You're da' best!
This recipe looks delicious but I was wondering if is there a non alcoholic alternative to the Marsala wine or should I simply skip it as I can't use any type or amount of alcohol in my food and drinks... Can you consider mentioning non-alcoholic alternatives in your other recipes in future
This is a thank you note from one of many starving students you have probably encountered. The best part about being alone for Valentine's Day? You don't have to share a dessert as awesome as this.
I was a bit sketched out about the raw egg, but it seems to be a tried and true method. Thank you so much for this amazing recipe!
Hi Chef John, can I use your cold brew espresso concentrate from your tiramisu chocolate mousse recipe for this tiramisu?
I just made this for the first time and it turned out amazingly good! I love your recipes Chef John! My kids and husband love you now too.
Tiramisu is my all-time favorite cake. :P That being said, the 'custard mixture' is called 'zabaione' in Italian. :) My grandmother was Italian and my grandfather was Cajun, and they both cooked, so I had the privilege of learning recipes and techniques from both cultures.. Which led me to travel and experiment with other cultures' cuisine. Anyway.. Thank you, Chef John for giving this dessert justice. I've seen some real cut-corners recipes out there. Keep it up. :)
-Evelyn
Chef John
Please don't consider adding alcohol-free alternatives or gluten free or whatever and why on earth would you make Tiramisu with CREAM CHEESE!?? Gross! I live pretty rural and I can still get mascarpone. The only similarities are the color and the milk. You can't substitute old cheddar for butter.
I get extremely tired of people thinking that everyone else has to compensate for their food issues.
Keep doing what you are doing and don't change a thing. Except don't offer cream cheese as an alternative next time (dude, I can't stop shuddering at that).
Chef John, this recipe is amazing. It's easy and tasty. I was afraid of making tiramisu but your recipe helped me with that. So thank you so much. I love it!!
This it IT! I am making a white chocolate "mug" with dark chocolate handles filled with this tiramisu topped with Chocolate mousse that "droops" over the side.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year everyone!
I'm making this Friday night. It's totally going to get me l...ots of compliments ;)
Thanks for sharing! I really like how your videos make the process clean and simple. I'll have to give your recipes a shot soon!
Wow, Chef John. I just tried this recipe and it has totally blown me away. I had another recipe that I've been holding on for years and thought it was the best... Until now. You're a genius. Thanks a lot for your incredible recipes, you never let me down haha. Cheers from Iceland.
Ladyfinger en español "Lengua de Gato"
:)
Hello Chef Jon,
This is my first comment, although I've "stolen" quite a few recipes from you so far :).
A quick question would be: How could you adapt the recipe for a tray type of tiramisu. I wanted to make it in a cake format and the cream is a bit too runny for it. Any thoughts on how to thicken the cream so that it stays better upright?
This has to be one of my favorite corners of the internet. I wish I had discovered you sooner. Recently my boyfriend commented on how much he loved tiramisu and so I knew I had to make it for valentines day.
Dinner turned out to be just "okay" but when I pulled out the tiramisu his eyes lit up like a kid in a candy store looking at a Wonka Scrumdiddlyumptious bar with anticipation of that golden ticket.
He spooned the first taste and his eyes rolled into the back of his head as his whole body melted into pure bliss.
Then he threw his back out trying to "Thank me" for the wonderful dessert.
I know know what to make for next year. and on many special ocassions between now and then.
Thanks again for your charm, whit, and especially your comedic culinary explanations.
Chef, If I wanted to scale this up to make a larger quantity, say 9x13 pan size, how much more of everything would be necessary?
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