Tiramisù recipe with Traces of Food

Hi there folks! We’ve got special news! We have started a collaboration with a culinary blog which is known in Italy as Tracce di Cibo (Traces of Food). We copied the tiramisu recipe which is published here and we have translated it into English for you. We will publish more recipes from the blog from time to time. Enjoy it and as we say in Italy BUON APPETITO.

This cake was first prepared in honour of the Granduke of Tuscany, Cosimo III de' Medici who one day decided to visit Siena (Tuscany). The chefs wanted to represent the carateristics of this noble man in a cake. It had to be “important” but also had to have basic but tasty ingredients. Cosimo really liked this recipe and brought it back to his court. It is known that his courters used to think that this cake had aphrodisiac properties, whence the allusive name “Tiramisù” (Lift-me-up). Ingredients for 12-14 people:

• Mascarpone cheese 700gr
• Eggs 6
• Sugar 6+1 tablespoons
• Brandy 6 tablespoons
• Instant coffee 2 heaped tablespoons (Black label Nescafé)
• Savoiardi biscuits 600gr (dried ones, not soft!)
• Dark cocoa powder

I start by preparing the coffee so that it will have time to cool. Instead of bothering to use Italian coffee pots I make coffee by putting the instant coffee powder in a container, adding water to make half a litre of coffee. I put the paint in the microwave oven for a couple of minutes so that the water gets hotter and the coffee dissolves. I then add a tablespoon of sugar and four spoons of brandy. I break the eggs and separate the white from the yolk. I beat the egg whites until they are quite stiff, and put aside. Beat the yolks sugar and two tablespoons of brandy with an electric beater until they are soft and light coloured. At this point ,I begin to add the mascarpone cheese, one tablespoon at a time, continuing to beat at full speed with the electric beater. When all the mascarpone cheese has been added in and the mixture has become creamy, I add in the egg white using a spatula or a wooden spoon mixing it always in the same direction from bottom to top, so as not to ruin the egg white. When the egg mixture is ready I take the aluminum container for the cake. I dip the savoiardi biscuits, one by one, in the coffee very quickly so that they don’t get soggy. Cover the base of the container with a layer of savoiardi biscuits and sprinkle with finely sieved cocoa powder. I pour half of the egg mixture over the savoiardi biscuits and spread it evenly. Repeat the procedure, this time I putting the cream first and then, the cocoa powder. The Tiramisù should be kept in the fridge for at least 3 hours. To ensure that the ingredients are well amalgamated I often prepare it the day before.

What is Mascarpone cheese? Mascarpone is a triple-creme cheese, made from a generally low-fat (25%) content fresh cream. It's made from the milk of cows that have been fed special grasses filled with fresh herbs and flowers – a special diet that creates a unique taste often described as "fresh and delicious."
What are Savoiardi biscuits? Ladyfingers -- known in Italy as "savoiardi" -- are sweet, little, fairly dry, finger-shaped sponge cakes. The Epicurious OnLine Dictionary describes a "ladyfinger" as a "light, delicate sponge cake roughly shaped like a rather large, fat finger. It's used as an accompaniment to ice cream, puddings and other desserts. Ladyfingers are also employed as an integral part of some desserts, including Charlottes. Ladyfingers can be made at home or purchased in bakeries or supermarkets."