A Recipe for Tiramisu

We all know that Italy is the place to go for culinary greatness. From the many pastas that the country has introduced into the world, through to the seasonal delights that you’ll find in little Italian restaurants, there is so much variety on offer that there really is something for everyone in the Italian culinary archives.

Desserts are a true speciality for Italian chefs. Many of the classics that we love today were introduced in Italy, and have since spread all over the world. One of those amazing desserts is Tiramisu. Yes, you can buy it in practically any supermarket without having to lift a finger to make it yourself. However, you’re going to have to get busy if you want to a more authentic experience.

To help you along, we’re going to offer up a great Tiramisu recipe. Not only that, but we’re also going to help you out with a few wine pairings that will really make your evening.

The Recipe

We know you’re eager to get to the wine, but you need to get the food ready first. This tiramisu recipe is sure to knock your socks off. Before you begin, you’re going to need the following ingredients:

• A couple of cups of black coffee. Ideally, this will be a strong espresso that you have chilled.
• Two eggs. You’ll need to separate the whites from the yolks.
• Five tablespoons of Amaretto. Disaranno is a great choice, but any Amaretto will do.
• Three tablespoons of caster sugar.
• About 300ml of fresh whipped cream.
• 250 grams of cheese. Mascarpone is the best choice if you want to full Italian experience.
• A packet of sponge finger biscuits.
• A sprinkling of cocoa powder, which you’ll use to dust the end product.

They aren’t the most difficult ingredients to prepare, so you shouldn’t have any problems. Now, let’s get to the recipe itself.

Step 1

Pour your cups of coffee into a bowl, then mix with three tablespoons of your amaretto. Leave the mixture to the side for later use.

Step 2

Pour your egg yolks into a different bowl, alongside all of your caster sugar. Bear the mixture for a few minutes and you should find it thickens and develops a pale colouring.

Step 3

Plop your cheese into the egg and sugar mixture and carry on beating it. After a few minutes, you should find that it has all mixed together nicely. Now, use a spoon to place your whipped cream on top of the mixture. Now, use your spoon to fold the cream into the mixture.

Step 4

You’re going to need a third bowl for this step. Pour your egg whites into an empty bowl and beat them until you start to see little peaks developing. You’ll need your spoon again, because it’s time to fold your egg whites into the mixture you have in your second bowl. Do this gently, so you don’t create a mess. Pour your remaining two tablespoons of Amaretto into the mixture, though you may want to use less if you think the mixture will lose its volume.

Step 5

Take each of your biscuits and dip them into the coffee mixture that you made in the first step. Allow them to get coated, then shake off any excess. Don’t leave them in the mixture for too long, else they may get soggy.

Step 6

Layer the bottom of a dessert glass with the biscuits, then cover them in the cream mixture. You can then add another layer of biscuit on top, which will also cover with a cream layer. Keep repeating this for as many dessert glasses as you have, until you’ve used up all of your biscuits.

Step 7

Use a spoon the smooth the surface cream in each dessert dish, then sprinkle a little cocoa powder on top of each one. Pop them in the fridge for about two hours, and you should find they’ve firmed up. Congratulations, you now have a gorgeous tiramisu that you can serve to anyone.

As a final point, you may want to leave your glasses in the fridge for longer than two hours. Generally, your tiramisu will develop more flavours if you chill it for longer.

The Perfect Wine Pairings

So you have your tiramisu ready to serve. Now, you just need a few wine pairings to make the perfect dessert experience. There are plenty of wines that you can choose from, but we recommend the following types.

Prosecco

It’s an all-purpose wine, and Prosecco really comes to the fore when you combine it with tiramisu. You’ll find the flavours complement each other well, with the Prosecco being light enough to not dominate the tiramisu, but strong enough to not be overpowered itself. Furthermore, if you’re serving the dessert after a big dinner, you may find that most of your guests would prefer a lighter wine.

Vin Santo

What’s a great dessert without a wonderful dessert wine? Vin Santo fits the bill for combining with tiramisu, as the wine has a slight caramel taste that serves as a perfect contrast to the creaminess of the dessert. This is a great choice if you’ve had a lighter dinner, as Vin Santo is usually a touch thicker than most wines. Even so, its sweetness works perfectly with a good tiramisu, which means you can really impress your guests with a beautiful combination of flavours.

The Final Word

Tiramisu is one of the great Italian desserts, so it deserves a great Italian wine to go with it. We’ve offered up two of the multitude of choices that you have available to you, but we also recommend that you experiment to find some combinations that suit your palate. After all, everybody is different, and you may find a combination that nobody has even thought of.

We hope that you’ve been inspired by this article to have a crack at making this dessert. Trust us, you won’t regret it. Homemade tiramisu is so good that you may never go store-bought again.