Original recipe of the Week: Tiramisu

Tiramisu is a very special kind of dessert because it looks really impressive on the plate but is actually incredibly simple to make. It’s so light and fluffy and, a bit like a trifle, it’s best made the night before to soak up all the delicious flavours and develop a richer taste.

Traditionally made with sweet wines like Marsala or Vin Santo, we find that it tastes just as good without, resulting in a light, satisfying dessert after dinner.

We’ve made it with a bit of a twist, using chocolate-flavoured Nespresso coffee for an extra hit of chocolate aroma with every bite.

Tiramisu

Serves: 6-8
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: Chill overnight

What you will need:

2 medium fresh eggs, separated
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp dark cocoa
250g mascarpone cheese
175g pack Savoiardi biscuits
250ml Ciocattino Nespresso, or 250ml strong, good quality coffee

We used a 20cm x 30cm dish for this recipe.

What you need to do:

1. Prepare your coffee and set aside to cool.

2. Separate your eggs into two large bowls.

3. Whisk 2 tbsp caster sugar into the egg yolks until the mixture becomes light and airy (about 2 minutes)

4. Add the mascarpone cheese to the egg yolk mixture and whisk until you have a thick, creamy mixture.

5. Clean your whisks and whisk your egg whites until they reach stiff peaks and they hold their form.

6. Fold in a quarter of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture, before folding in the rest of the whites and stirring gently until you get a well-combined mix.

7. Soak the sponge side of your biscuits quickly in the cooled coffee, and lay vertically, sugar-side down into your dish until you have covered the base.

8. Spread a generous amount of the egg mixture evenly onto your biscuit base, and repeat with a second layer of biscuits (this time, horizontally), spreading the remaining mixture on top.

9. Cover and leave overnight to set. Before serving, dust lightly with a teaspoon of cocoa.

Rasha Barazi