Pick me up

Tiramisu loosely translated means "pick me up", and you will perk up when eating it. Tiramisu is my signature dish and I am sharing the recipe with you here.

I searched high and low for a recipe that I thought was good enough to even attempt, and then I came across this one in Gourmet Traveller, from the chef at Cibo's restaurant in Adelaide, Salvatore Pepe. Cibo's is a well-known and popular restaurant in Adelaide that now has lots of 'shop-fronts' scattered around Adelaide (and now Brisbane) selling coffee and panini and sweets (you have to try their ricotta filled cannoli - they are amazing).

After I started to make this Tiramisu, mum stopped making hers because, and I quote - mine is better!

Lastly, whilst I follow the ingredients and measurements direct from the recipe, I actually use my mum's method for putting it together. I hope I can articulate it well.

3 eggs, separated
75gm caster sugar
250gm marscapone
1 cup thickened cream
1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa plus extra
freshly brewed espresso coffee
1 1/2 tablespoons Strega liqueur or dark rum, (I use Bacardi Gold)
Savoiardi biscuits (4 layer pack)

You will also need a tray with very specific measurements as you need to place the biscuits head-to-head, and then two layers of the biscuits as well. If you don't have such a tray you will need to break the biscuits to fit the tray.

Beat egg yolks and 55g sugar until thick and pale.


Add marscapone and combine well.


Beat cream with remaining sugar, then add to the marscapone mixture and combine well.


Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, then add to mixture, fold in until just combined.

In a shallow bowl, combine the coffee and liqueur. Dip the biscuits in the coffee (both sides) and lay the biscuits in the base of the tray (covering the base).


Spread half the marscapone mixture over the first layer of biscuits.


Then lay another layer of biscuits on top. Spread the remainder of the mixture over the top layer of biscuits. Dust with a layer of cocoa (or do this just prior to serving).



Some notes:

You can add as much liqueur as you like to the coffee depending on how strong/weak you like it.
Allow the tiramisu to sit for at least two days prior to serving.
When dipping the biscuits you can really 'soak' them, but this will make the tiramisu quite wet. I just dip quickly, once either side as I don't like it too wet.
Between the layer of biscuits, you can add extras like slivered almonds or grated chocolate. Again it's a matter of taste.

Enjoy!