The BEST tiramisu there is

Oct 2

You’re so in for a wild ride and you don’t even know it! This is one of my favourite recipes of all time, one that I make very often and the only Tiramisu recipe I’ll ever use. My friends are absolutely gaga over this Tiramisu and when a group of chefs are raving over something, that’s when you know it’s good ;) So trust me when I tell you, if you like tiramisu, prepare to be blown away! THIS right here is gold. I discovered a few different tricks for the ultimate tiramisu during quarantine in one of Massimo Bottura’s vidoes and my life has changed ever since. If you have been following along for a while, you're already aware of how much I love Tiramisu and just how emotional I am about it. Emotional, yes. I’m also quite the traditionalist when it comes to Tiramisu. I like mine simple and delicious, just how the Italians intended it to be. Sold yet? No? Keep reading.

What makes for a great Tiramisu? Every single component. Tiramisu is deceivingly simple. There’s honestly not a lot that goes into it. You’ve got your mascarpone zabaione, your Savoiardi biscuits and the coffee-alcohol soak. That’s it. Lesser the components, the more you need to make them shine. So in order to make this a success, you need to nail those three components so that you create something truly magical. Well, here’s the best part. They are all incredibly easy to make and I’ll show you just how! That’s what I love about Tiramisu. Simple ingredients coming together in the most delicious way possible, that is so soul-satisfying :)

Okay so here’s my secret. Are you ready?

Zabaione: This is the heart of your Tiramisu. Zabaione is an Italian dessert which is basically egg yolks, sugar and some kind of sweet wine beaten together. This can be served as a dessert as it is or we can use it as a base for other desserts. In this case, mascarpone is whipped together with the zabaione to create the most luscious cream ever! Please use the best quality of mascarpone for this recipe as it makes a huge difference in texture and flavour. You want a really luscious smooth cream here.

Savoiardi: Savoiardi are traditional Italian sponge cakes that are super dry and soak up liquid like a sponge. To me, this is the spine of your Tiramisu and kinda makes it or breaks it. You really wanna soak these bad boys up with your coffee-alcohol soak for the ultimate flavour burst. There is nothing worse than having a Tiramisu that is not well soaked for two reasons: 1) Your tiramisu will lack flavour and 2) the sponge is quite dry in itself so if not soaked well, it adds a dry texture to the dessert that is honestly not that great to eat. My tip- I slice my biscuits into half so that they soak up completely and also balance out the sponge to cream ratio. The only way you can do this is by using a really sharp knife. So make sure to use the sharpest knife around but please don’t cut yourself. Notice in my picture above how thin and well soaked my sponge layer is? That’s what you want.

Coffee-alcohol soak: Last but not the least, the soak. This is flavour. You know flavour is a big deal around here. There’s honestly nothing much I can tell you here except that please use good quality coffee. I like to use espresso because I love the intensity and yet the smoothness of it, but a filter drip or brewed coffee will work as well. Usually you’d use a coffee liqueur but I like to use a mix of Kahlua and Malibu (or any other coconut rum). Yes, Malibu! It’s not traditional but trust me, it goes SO well.

Nail these three things, and you’ve got yourself the best Tiramisu you’ll ever find! Try it for yourself and you’ll be hooked, I promise! Okay no more talking because I don’t want to keep you any longer from making this so get your aprons on and get that zabaione going! Happy baking and bon appetite! xx

Recipe adaptation: Massimo Bottura

Recipe

Serves: 4 (or 2 if you’re like me)

Ingredients

270g mascarpone, cold
60g egg yolks
75g castor sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
10ml Kahlua (a)
200g espresso (approx. 6 shots)
50g Kahlua (b)
25g Malibu
100g Savoiardi biscuits
good quality cocoa powder to serve

Method

Prepare your zabaglione: Using a stand mixer or a handheld beater, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, and all the sugar has dissolved (about 3 mins).
Reduce the speed to low-medium and with the mixer on, start adding the cold mascarpone in intervals into the egg-sugar mix. Once all the mascarpone is in, increase the speed to medium-high and whip until fluffy and soft peaks form (about 2-4 mins). Add the 10ml of Kahlua and whisk until combined properly. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Prepare the biscuits: 10 minutes before assembling, prepare the biscuits. Using a very sharp knife, cut the Savoiardi in half lengthwise (as shown in the picture above). Keep aside.
Prepare the coffee soak by mixing the espresso with Kahlua (b) and Malibu in a wide shallow bowl, large enough to be able to soak the biscuits in.
Assembly: Use an 7” glass square pan or an 7” bowl for assembling the tiramisu. Alternatively, use two smaller bowls if required. Begin with a layer of biscuits. Soak the biscuits for 5 seconds in the coffee soak, turning both ways and place it in your dish. Continue doing this until the bottom of the dish is covered with a layer of soaked biscuits.
Add a generous layer of the zabaione and spread it evenly over the biscuits.
Repeat this entire process until you have used up all your biscuits and zabaione with the top layer ending in zabaione. You should ideally have three layers of biscuits and zabaione. Refrigerate for at least an hour or until use.
When ready to serve, dust a thin layer of cocoa power over the tiramisu. Serve chilled.

Note:

Pistachio Tiramisu: to make a pistachio version of this, add 50g of pistachio paste to the zabaglione, and skip the kahlua. Whisk on medium speed until combined. Proceed with the recipe as usual. I like to use chopped candied pistachios for the topping instead of cocoa powder for extra flavour and texture.

If you enjoyed that and tried it at home, please tag me at @myyummyspatula on Instagram so that I can see all your bakes! For more BTS stories, updates and fun, you can follow long here: