Kitchen Project #156: Tiramisu

Could this be ultimate crowd pleasing dessert?

Hello,

Welcome to today’s edition of Kitchen Projects. Thank you so much for being here.

Today, as we approach Christmas day, I’m thrilled to share my recipe for an absolute classic that needs no introduction: Tiramisu!

I’m not sure why writing this newsletter has taken me so long. Perhaps it is because Tiramisu has so many siblings, cousins and compadres that make it its very own category of dessert. So, over on KP+, I’m thrilled to be sharing a series of recipes that celebrate the form and flavour of tiramisu ft. A Rum & Matchamisu by Milli Taylor, the Tiramoussey, an airy version of the classic, and tiny salted tiramisu cookies by Justine Doiron, from her book Justine Cooks. WHAT A SELECTION! Click here for the recipes

What’s KP+? Well, it’s the level-up version of this newsletter. By joining KP+, you will support the writing and research that goes into the newsletter (including the commissioning - and fair payment - of all the writers), join a growing community, access extra content (inc., the entire archive) and more. Subscribing is easy and only costs £6 per month or £50 for the whole year. Why not give it a go? Come and join the gang!

Love,
Nicola

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Tiramisoooo Good

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A great dessert, invented once, evolves. It multiplies through variations and flavours until it becomes something delicious, distinct and new. And then, the cycle begins again. You know how it goes.

So before I can introduce today’s subject, I have to introduce you to its ancestral forbearer: Zuppa Inglese. Yes, English ‘Soup’, or Custard, in Italiano.

Zuppa Inglese is a layered dessert derived from the English trifle, with roots tracing back to the 16th century. Though the origins are somewhat murky (as stories often are), one version claims a diplomat tried a trifle-like dish during a visit to Elizabethan court and had it recreated upon his return to Italy. But no matter how it got back to Italy, the combination of booze-dipped sponge fingers (Zuppa actually can be traced back to ‘inzuppare’, which means 'to soak/to drench’) and custard layered up in bowls was, and still is a hit.

Over the years, chefs have reinvented Zuppa Inglese many times, but one stands out as its breakout star. So, who is the Beyoncé of Zuppa Inglese? The Harry Styles? It is, of course, everyone’s favourite, tiramisu.

I’ve touched on tiramisu in a previous piece (see conceptual tiramisu), but here’s the gist. Tiramisu, which means ‘pick me up’ in Italian, is a relatively new dessert—it didn’t officially appear in Italy until the 1960s. And the combination of booze, coffee and mascarpone was an immediate hit. A star was born. Does the literal translation of the name refer to its caffeine content, or how cheering a sight of this pudding is?!

Like many things, Italians are passionate about Tiramisu: In 2013, Luca Zaia, the president of Venice, sought protected status for the Tiramisu to prevent people like me from messing around with it (please, no one forward this to Luca Zaia). And there has, of course, been actual Tiramisu drama in recent years - in 2017, the region of Friuli was officially designated as the true originator of Tiramisu. Safe to say Veneto was pretty upset.

So, with this giant coffee and mascarpone-scented shadow towering over us, I step into today’s newsletter to share my favourite version of this dessert. Fourteen tiramisus down, I’ve learned a lot. Shall we?

What IS tiramisu?

Yes, tiramisu is a combination of layered egg-whipped mascarpone, coffee and booze (usually marsala, sometimes amaretto, could be rum) soaked sponge fingers and chocolate, but its structure and expert construction teaches us so much about what is good in a dessert.

To quote Natasha Pickowicz (from a previous newsletter about layer cakes.): "One of my original inspirations is the classic Tiramisu. The key to a perfect bite is the balanced mix of textures, from the creamy mascarpone to the soaked ladyfingers. As a tiramisu rests, the flavours mingle and marry, creating something that is greater than the sum of its parts. The overall sensation is of creaminess, anchored with a bit of crumb from the cake.” This has always stuck with me.

Over the years, I’ve taken inspiration from both the structure and flavour profile of tiramisu, I’m excited to share a bunch of variations from myself and some brilliant guest contributors to really celebrate this brilliant format. Let me introduce you to… The Tiramisu Alignment Chart.

Tiramisu Alignment Chart

While most of these recipes can be found already in the Kitchen Projects archive or in SIFT, joining us today are:

• Classic Tiramisu (FINALLY): My ideal version, below!

• Tiramoussey: An airier, lighter version of tiramisu (recipe here)

• Rum Matcha-misu A gorgeous guest recipe with white chocolate notes and a stunning green finish by Milli Taylor. (recipe here)

  

  Tiramoussey (L), Justine's Tiny Salted Tiramisu Cookies (Middle), Millis Rum Matcha Misu (right)

• Tiny Salted Tiramisu Cookies: A guest recipe and excerpt fromJustine Cooks by

  Justine Doiron
  . As she explains, this is all the flavour of a tiramisu with none of the work. I have to agree with her - you can go from zero to cookies in 20 minutes. (recipe here!)

• COMING SOON: Banana Pudding Rum Brown Sugar Tiramisu: A loving marriage between banana pudding and tiramisu. Coming next week for KP+ because this newsletter is much too long!

Ok, let’s get into it!

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Element one: The Cream

I’m not sure if this is a good place to begin, but here we are: I don’t think it’s possible to make the perfect tiramisu. I think it’s possible to make your perfect tiramisu, but it’s certainly not objective. No, I don’t turn my nose up at using cream, extra sugar, or omitting eggs entirely (ok, maybe I am a bit snobby about that last one unless it's allergy-related!), but I have my favourites. For me, tiramisu needs to be rich but airy enough so you can keep coming back for more. It should also be able to withstand its own weight - it shouldn’t just slop once scooped, and hold its own shape on a plate, though not too angularly.

The varying colour and texture of the cream

Tiramisu cream is usually a combination of rich, fatty mascarpone, which is aerated by whipping eggs, usually separately, and folding them in. Sugar sweetens and provides stability to the aerated eggs. If cream is included, it’s whipped and gently folded in to further aerate and stabilise the mix.

The firmness of the cream depends on the fat content, and the ratio of aerators to fat. As the fat in the mascarpone or cream firms up in the fridge, it provides structure, while the bubbles in the whipped eggs give a moussey texture. You can also alter the texture of the tiramisu cream by cooking the eggs as you aerate them, which firms up the proteins and adds structure and stability.

Scooped!

I started with a control recipe shared with me by Jordon King, whose classic tiramisu ratio is two eggs per 250g mascarpone and 25g sugar per egg. I used this as a jumping-off point to explore other ingredient ratios (I also tested different sponge fingers and dips, which may have contributed to the different look of the below):

Here’s the good news: Not one of these Tiramisus was bad. But there were some markedly better than others. I noted the flavour profiles, visual look, texture and - crucially - volume of the mixtures. I also scooped each tiramisu onto a tray to check its structural stability.

• Test 1 - Control. 5/6ths full with a shiny look and irregular texture. It has a strong mascarpone flavour and a slightly sticky and rich texture. Relatively stable.

• Test 2 - Extra Whole Egg. 7/8ths full, airy, shiny look. It is airier than the control, but it lacks depth of flavour, and the texture isn’t quite right. Not stable, very soft.

• Test 3 - Yolks Only - ¾ full. Smooth, golden, shiny and dense looking. It has a rich, sticky texture, is very creamy and dense, and very flavourful. Stable, holds shape well.

• Test 4 - Half double cream, half mascarpone. 5/6ths full, white colour, thick with small bubbles. Very clean flavour, quite rich but light. Tastes mass-produced in a way. Very stable.

• Test 5 - Double Egg white to Yolks. 7/8ths full. Light golden, but very shiny but irregular looking texture. A rich but light cream that dissolves on the tongue, airy mousse. Quite stable but soft cream.

• Test 6 - Half Egg - ¾ full - bright white, dense-looking cream. Rich texture, not airy. Stable, holds its shape well.

• Test 7 - Whole Egg whipped/cooked sabayon. 5/6ths Full. Very bubbly texture, but fine bubbles - very nice. Very sloppy.

• Test 8 - Double Sugar - Full! - Sweet and airy - too sweet, unfortunately. Very stable.

The winners: For me, it’s clear that my ideal tiramisu needs to have structure but lightness, so for my final “classic” recipe, I’m going to include one extra egg white for airiness but also cook the egg yolks over a bain-marie to provide stability. That being said, I ADORED the lightness of the double egg whites, so I will also be sharing that recipe and we shall call it the Tiramoussey.

tiramoussey

Another thing I learned from these tests is how strange it is it is that eggs, whites, and yolks aren’t provided in grams; the cream is so sensitive to the ratio of eggs to the other ingredients that it seems foolish not to scale them.

And finally, on sweetness - I personally have a low tolerance for sweetness in creamy desserts - I think you get to have one or the other, sweetness or richness, and if you try to do both, then it gets sickly far too quickly. If you have a higher sugar tolerance, you can always increase it (see test 8! It works beautifully and adds volume), but try it with the lower amount first.

Element two: The sponge / layers

If the role of the sponge fingers is to be a soft, tender layer that absorbs both the coffee and the surrounding cream, why limit ourselves? I tried out a series of options:

The results:

• Sponge Fingers - Classic for a reason! But these are not created equal. You will need to conduct tests to check the level of absorption. The supermarket ones took double as long to absorb the dip.

• Home-made lady fingers - Delicious, but they need only the briefest of dip. Alternatively, these must be fully dried out before dipping to help retain their structure.

• Biscotti: I tried both chocolate chip and almond soaked in Vin Santo. I don’t love Vin Santo and chocolate together, so this flavour was a bit jarring, but the plain version was gorgeous.

• Pandoro - I loved the yeasty flavour of this, but again, the absorption level was hard to control, and it went too wet too quickly.

• Amaretti biscuits - So delicious. I loved this. They also retained quite a lot of texture. I’d use these again, the flavour was very festive.

Element 3: The Dip

While the dip itself is crucial, the length of the dip might be more so. Both of these are up to your personal preference. I personally want there to be liquid in the base of my tiramisu tray after scooping - it should have a bit of tres leches energy to it, at least on the bottom layer.

• Flavour: I tried Marsala, amaretto, vin santo and rum. For me, amaretto or Marsala has the most classic taste profile, but you can pick whichever you like. It does not impact the structure or absorption; it’s just about taste. And if you don’t like or drink alcohol, just omit it.

• The juiciness: While some people might see a collection of liquid in the base of their tiramisu dish, post scoop, as a structural error, others might see it as a positive symbol of juiciness. (I am the latter)
  
  The only essential rule to follow is this: Your dip must be at room temperature or cold. If it's warm, the absorption into the sponge fingers is far too rapid, and the sponge loses structure immediately and leaks out into the cream, altering the airy texture. To test it out, I dipped each option in cool/room-temperature coffee for 1-5 seconds. Once rested, I pressed lightly to check the absorption. I came back an hour later and re-tested - even the ones that had been dunked for just a second, that had seemed so firm before, were now soft. The lesson… be patient!

  

  So, depending on what you’ve decided to layer into your tiramisu and what YOU like, you’ll have to conduct a few of your tests to check the absorption level; I think 3 seconds is right. And don’t forget that while some texture is achieved through the dip, you double down on the softening through the fridge resting process. Because of the hard crust of the ladyfingers, it can take time for the syrup to penetrate.

• The method: Milli Taylor, whose matcha rum tiramisu you can find here, suggested using a tall deep container, like a measuring jug, to dip, rather than the usual wide shallow, and I have to say, I think that’s my preferred method now. In, out, done!

The finishing

A few of the finishes

For a classic tiramisu, the two options for finishing are cocoa powder vs. grated chocolate. Again, this is your personal preference. Cocoa powder has more impact and direct bitterness, but grated chocolate feels quite special. You could use grated chocolate in the layers, too, but I love the slight stickiness provided by cocoa powder. I’m sorry to keep turning this back around, but you’ve got the make the choice here. If you go for grated chocolate, make sure you use a microplane and a dark chocolate to replicate some of cooca’s impact - 80% up i think!

The Timing

Tiramisu might be the ultimate candidate for Christmas because it NEEDS to be made ahead to be its best. I would say an overnight rest is the minimum for it to firm up, mingle and be it’s best. You can serve it before then, I won’t tell anyone, but I really do think you’ll be happiest with it that way.

Not only will it taste better, but it means no faffing and just serving up on Christmas. Ok, it does take space in the fridge, but talking to you as someone who has managed to store up about 14 various-sized tiramisu in the fridge this week, some balanced on top of each other - it can be done. You don’t need to dust the top with cocoa until you’re ready to serve, so actually, if your cream gets nudged in the fridge, you can always hide it.

A word of warning: If you have a lot going on in your fridge, please cover your tiramisu overnight! Dairy can take in a lot of scents from the fridge.

The size of the container

One thing that I find hard to predict is what size containers you’ll have at home. Perhaps you’ve got a low, wide, gorgeous earthenware thing for building your tiramisu. Maybe you’d prefer to save space and build it in loaf tins and stack them. The type of container you use might also depend on whether you want to serve onto plates or just put the tiramisu down in the middle of the table and let people serve themselves. Either way, I’ve shared the dimensions of my tins. The mixture should be airy but structured enough for you to build UP and above the rim of your container if needs be! So, if you get to building it and you are worrying about space, don’t! Made correctly, the cream can support itself. If you have mix leftover, or don’t fancy piling it up high like me, you can always make yourself a mini version in a ramekin, glass or, as Milli Taylor suggested, an empty Mascarpone pot.

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Recipe: Classic tiramisu

Makes 1 x 8inch dish. Serves at least 8

i can’t tell you how complex a task it was to get a perfectly square slice but I DID IT

Ingredients

• 4 large egg yolks, about 80g

• 6 large egg whites, about 240g

• 140g Caster sugar

• 500g Mascarpone, good quality, firm and flavourful!

• ¼ tsp Fine salt

• 200-250g Ladyfingers, about 20-25

The soak

• 350ml good quality, strong coffee*

• 50-75ml Booze of choice and added to taste. I like amaretto or rum, but marsala is also popular. If you don’t drink, you can omit.

Plus: Cocoa powder for dusting or dark chocolate to grate.

*You can get this from a coffee shop - two americanos with an extra shot, use a Moka pot, or make a French press with a 1:10 ratio of coffee to water. ALSO: don’t forget, you can use decaf coffee if you don’t want the caffeine!

Method

• Start by making the soak. You want it to be cool, or at least room temperature, by the time you come to build. Whisk the ingredients together in a tall jug and set aside.

• Prepare a bain-marie for the cream. Choose a saucepan and heatproof bowl (metal or Pyrex work well) that fit snugly together. Fill the saucepan halfway with water, ensuring the bowl won’t touch the water when placed on top. Separate the eggs and put the whites in a mixing bowl appropriate for making a meringue. You’ll get back to that later. Put the egg yolks in the heatproof bowl.

• Add 70g of the sugar into the egg yolks and whisk to combine. Place over the bain-marie and whisk, using a hand whisk + brute strength, or an electric handwhisk. Whisk for about 10 minutes over the simmering water until the mixture is very thick, smooth, and pale in color. If you have a thermometer, it should reach 65-70°C. We want to gently cook the yolks and sugar to help set the texture of the cream. Take it off the heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes.

• Whisk the mascarpone into the yolks. It will look incredibly shiny, thick, and buttery, a bit like buttercream. Then, whisk in the salt.

  

• Now, make the meringue. Whisk the egg whites until foamy, then add the sugar bit by bit. Whisk until a thick, firm meringue forms. It will look like shaving foam, with stiff peaks.

  

• Whisk a little bit of the meringue into the yolk mixture to lighten in, then fold the rest in in thirds. It will be extremely fluffy and light.

• Now it’s time to build your tiramisu: Before assembling, test the optimal soaking time for your ladyfingers as this varies from brand to brand. Dip one into the coffee mixture for 2-3 seconds, place it on a plate, and cut it in half to check if the soak has penetrated to your liking. If you have time, walk away for 10 miuntes and come back and check - you’ll see if you’re happy with the soak level. Now, dip the ladyfingers into the cooled coffee mix and lay in your chosen dish. Dust with cocoa.

  

• Pile half the tiramisu cream on top and smooth with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Repeat with the sponge dunking and layering, followed by a dusting of cocoa. Pile the rest of the cream on top.

• Move into the fridge and rest at least 6 hours but, to be honest, overnight or up to two days. Consider covering the tiramisu if a lot is going on in your fridge, as it can take on scents. Dust with cocoa before serving, or grate with a microplane. Store leftovers in the fridge for 1-2 days further.

Ready for more? Click here for matcha-misu, tiramisu cookies and the tiramoussey.