Tiramisu
This recipe was inspired by both Gordon Ramsay’s and Jamie Oliver’s tiramisu recipes.
I made this recipe for my son’s baptism and everybody loved it! I’ve changed the amount of dark chocolate and added milk chocolate. I found that the bitterness of the dark chocolate was a bit overwhelming and everyone loves milk chocolate. I also could not find Vin Santo in our local shops, so I used Marsala wine, which Gordon Ramsay uses in his recipe.
Ingredients:
| 100 g | Good-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids) |
| 150 g | Milk chocolate |
| 50 g | Diced butter |
| Pinch | Sea salt (normal salt will do if you don’t have sea salt) |
| 175 g | Sponge fingers |
| 400 ml | Good sweetened coffee |
| Dessert wine (Marsala / Vin Santo) | |
| 4 | Large eggs |
| 100 g | Caster Sugar |
| 750 g | Mascarpone |
| 2 | Oranges |
| optional | Coffee beans (fresh, bashed up finely) |
Serves 12
Make the sweetened coffee and allow to cool.
Meanwhile, place the 100 g dark chocolate and only 100 g of the milk chocolate in a double boiler. (Put a glass bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the base of the bowl)
Add the diced butter and a pinch of salt (stir to help along the process), and leave for 5 minutes or so until melted and combined.
Dip the sponge fingers into the cold coffee quickly and line in a large, deep bowl or round dish (30cm in diameter and 12cm deep).
Add 50 – 100ml (a couple of swigs) of Vin Santo/Marsala wine to your melted chocolate, stir it through, then drizzle all over the sponge fingers.
Carefully smooth it out to the edges so you’ve got a nice even layer.
Set aside to cool.
Separate your eggs. Add the caster sugar to the yolks and add another swig of Vin Santo/Marsala wine (if you’re feeling naughty!), and whisk with an electric whisk on the highest setting for about 5 minutes, or by hand, until all the sugar has dissolved and the yolks are pale and fluffy.
Mix in the mascarpone and the zest of 1 orange.
Separately, whisk the whites (use a clean and dry whisk) with a pinch of salt until they form stiff peaks – they should be a similar consistency to the yolk and mascarpone mixture, and should hold their shape when you lift the beaters from the bowl.
Add a spoonful of your whites to the yolk mixture and gently fold them in, then fold through the rest of the whites.
Spoon and smooth this creamy mixture on top of your chocolate layer.
Scatter the finely bashed-up coffee beans over the top.
Using a sharp knife or a speed peeler, carefully shave over your remaining chocolate.
Finely grate over the zest from half your remaining orange.
Pop the tiramisù into the fridge for 2 hours to set
Tip: Don’t use hot coffee. Your sponge fingers will be soggy and unappetizing.
Serving suggestions:
Slice the tiramisu in 12 equal pieces and serve as is.
