How to Make Tiramisu
Tiramisu might seem like something that's hard to make, but it's not. I followed the recipe given on the back of Alessi Ladyfingers and photo chronicled it. The only changes I made to the recipe was using 1/3 cup espresso vodka cause I ran out of espresso coffee and using more cocoa powder than called for. I also accidentally used 1 extra Tbs. of sugar cause I didn't read the directions right.
Here's the recipe:
Alessi Tiramisu
Makes 12 servings
For the zabliogne:
5 egg yolks
¼ c. sugar
½ c. Marsala wine
For the cream:
1 c. chilled heavy cream
2 tbs. sugar
1 pound Mascarpone cheese
For the sauce:
2 c. freshly brewed espresso
½ c. Marsala wine
1 tbs. vanilla
2 tbs. sugar
For assembly:
14 oz. ladyfingers
Cocoa powder
To make the zabliogne, prepare a double boiler and put the egg yolks and sugar in the top. Whisk until well combined, and then bring the water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and slowly add the Marsala, stirring constantly. Scrape down the sides of the pan frequently. Cook for about 6-10 minutes, until small mounds can be formed. Chill in a covered bowl for 30 minutes.
Whip cream with the sugar until soft peaks form. Fold in the Mascarpone and the zabliogne and then mix until well blended. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Mix together the sauce ingredients. In a 9x13 glass baking dish, arrange the lady fingers so that the bottom of the dish is covered. Carefully drizzle each cookie with 1 to 1 ½ tbs. of the coffee mixture. The cookies should be saturated, but not falling apart. Spoon about ½ of the cream mixture over top and spread over the cookies. Sift cocoa powder over top. Make another layer of cookies, drizzle again with the coffee mixture, and then cover with cream. Garnish with more sifted cocoa powder. Cover and refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight so that the cookies have time to soften and absorb the flavors.
Go under the cut to see the photo-by-photo tutorial:
First, we need to make the zabilogne.
You need eggs, sugar, and marsala wine for this step. You will also need a double boiler, or, like me, a pan suspended over boiling water by a metal strainer. I'm classy and inventive like that:
Make sure those eggs are super fresh, cause you're only going to bring them to about 145F. That's a safe temperature for cooking eggs and killing salmonella, but the fresher your eggs are, the safer you are in terms of salmonella.
Next, separate your eggs. You only want the yolks:
Put the yolks and sugar over the double boiler, and whisk:
I'm not left handed, BTW. I just wanted to take nice pictures, so I used my left hand for cooking, and my right for picture taking. :D
Once those two are well mixed, turn on the heat, bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, and add your Marsala:
Cook for 6-10 minutes. Try to hit at least 140-145F for safety purposes:
Transfer to a bowl and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes:
Now to finish the cream. Collect the heavy cream and sugar:
Mix the two together:
Beat until peaks form, but be careful to not overbeat because you will be beating it some more:
It should look like this:
Now you need to add the mascarpone and the zabliogne you made earlier:
Beat it all together. Mine is a bit lumpy cause I overbeat it a little. It was still good, though, but if you beat much beyond this, it will be buttery. Refrigerate for 1 hour:
After about an hour, you're ready to make the coffee mixture. I used 1 2/3 c. espresso and 1/3 c. coffee vodka because I ran out of espresso. It tastes good both ways.
You need espresso, vanilla, sugar, and marsala:
Put it all in a bowl:
If necessary/desired, add some vodka:
Line a NON-REACTIVE (this means not metallic) baking dish - I used a Pyrex - with a row of lady fingers. I used Alessi brand. Do NOT overlap:
Pour about 1-2 tbs. of the coffee mixture over each cookie. You want them to be saturated, but they shouldn't fall apart and they should keep their shape:
Now add about 1/2 of the cream if you plan to make two layers like I did, or 1/3 of the cream if you plan to make 3 layers as the original recipe calls for:
Use a spatula to spread the cream. Completely cover the cookies:
Sift cocoa powder over the cream:
Make your next layer:
Finish off with cream and cocoa powder:
Refrigerate at least 5-6 hours. I did overnight. Finally, slice into pieces:
I hope everyone enjoyed my tutorial. :D
Here's the recipe:
Alessi Tiramisu
Makes 12 servings
For the zabliogne:
5 egg yolks
¼ c. sugar
½ c. Marsala wine
For the cream:
1 c. chilled heavy cream
2 tbs. sugar
1 pound Mascarpone cheese
For the sauce:
2 c. freshly brewed espresso
½ c. Marsala wine
1 tbs. vanilla
2 tbs. sugar
For assembly:
14 oz. ladyfingers
Cocoa powder
To make the zabliogne, prepare a double boiler and put the egg yolks and sugar in the top. Whisk until well combined, and then bring the water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and slowly add the Marsala, stirring constantly. Scrape down the sides of the pan frequently. Cook for about 6-10 minutes, until small mounds can be formed. Chill in a covered bowl for 30 minutes.
Whip cream with the sugar until soft peaks form. Fold in the Mascarpone and the zabliogne and then mix until well blended. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Mix together the sauce ingredients. In a 9x13 glass baking dish, arrange the lady fingers so that the bottom of the dish is covered. Carefully drizzle each cookie with 1 to 1 ½ tbs. of the coffee mixture. The cookies should be saturated, but not falling apart. Spoon about ½ of the cream mixture over top and spread over the cookies. Sift cocoa powder over top. Make another layer of cookies, drizzle again with the coffee mixture, and then cover with cream. Garnish with more sifted cocoa powder. Cover and refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight so that the cookies have time to soften and absorb the flavors.
Go under the cut to see the photo-by-photo tutorial:
First, we need to make the zabilogne.
You need eggs, sugar, and marsala wine for this step. You will also need a double boiler, or, like me, a pan suspended over boiling water by a metal strainer. I'm classy and inventive like that:
Make sure those eggs are super fresh, cause you're only going to bring them to about 145F. That's a safe temperature for cooking eggs and killing salmonella, but the fresher your eggs are, the safer you are in terms of salmonella.
Next, separate your eggs. You only want the yolks:
Put the yolks and sugar over the double boiler, and whisk:
I'm not left handed, BTW. I just wanted to take nice pictures, so I used my left hand for cooking, and my right for picture taking. :D
Once those two are well mixed, turn on the heat, bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, and add your Marsala:
Cook for 6-10 minutes. Try to hit at least 140-145F for safety purposes:
Transfer to a bowl and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes:
Now to finish the cream. Collect the heavy cream and sugar:
Mix the two together:
Beat until peaks form, but be careful to not overbeat because you will be beating it some more:
It should look like this:
Now you need to add the mascarpone and the zabliogne you made earlier:
Beat it all together. Mine is a bit lumpy cause I overbeat it a little. It was still good, though, but if you beat much beyond this, it will be buttery. Refrigerate for 1 hour:
After about an hour, you're ready to make the coffee mixture. I used 1 2/3 c. espresso and 1/3 c. coffee vodka because I ran out of espresso. It tastes good both ways.
You need espresso, vanilla, sugar, and marsala:
Put it all in a bowl:
If necessary/desired, add some vodka:
Line a NON-REACTIVE (this means not metallic) baking dish - I used a Pyrex - with a row of lady fingers. I used Alessi brand. Do NOT overlap:
Pour about 1-2 tbs. of the coffee mixture over each cookie. You want them to be saturated, but they shouldn't fall apart and they should keep their shape:
Now add about 1/2 of the cream if you plan to make two layers like I did, or 1/3 of the cream if you plan to make 3 layers as the original recipe calls for:
Use a spatula to spread the cream. Completely cover the cookies:
Sift cocoa powder over the cream:
Make your next layer:
Finish off with cream and cocoa powder:
Refrigerate at least 5-6 hours. I did overnight. Finally, slice into pieces:
I hope everyone enjoyed my tutorial. :D