A fluffy, creamy tiramisu recipe for you
Made with amaretto and toasted hazelnuts for a suprise crunch
My head foggy, legs aching, I move slowly from my bed toward the spare fridge I use to store big trays of handmade pasta, immaculate chunks of parmigiano and giant tubs of marinated Sicilian olives. Sunday mornings after my pop-up trattoria dinners last Summer all started in this way. I would wake up early - exhausted after a night of cooking hundreds of plates of pasta and aperitivo snacks for people, but still with some left over adrenaline surging through my body - and wander to the doors of that big stainless steel fridge. With two outstretched arms I would pull out a commercial-sized tray half-full with leftover tiramisu that survived the big night.
Placing it down on my kitchen bench I gently scoop out a couple of big spoonfuls and plonk it onto some plates. The morning is warm and my front porch is where I want to be, the street happenings making me feel more alive. Rapha brings out coffee and my dad’s car pulls into the driveway - he could smell leftovers all the way from my parents home. We all sit together eating layers of sponge and mascarpone, talking about last night’s energy and how beautiful the street looked with the tables lining the footpath and the summer sun.
This tiramisu is designed to be served in messy squares or hasty scoops without much fuss. I created this recipe for my summer pop-up dinners and week after week my mum would appear in my kitchen to help me layer five of those big gastronorm trays with the creamy tiramisu - during those weekends she helped me tweak this recipe and it really is one of the sweets I look forward to the most. Best enjoyed on a sun-dappled porch, or in bed. X
Tiramisu with amaretto and toasted hazelnuts
Serves 4–6
250ml good quality strong coffee (I make mine with a heaped tablespoon of coffee as I like a strong tasting tiramisu, however if you prefer a more subtle flavour 1 ½ teaspoons should be fine)
½ tbsp of dark rum
1 ½ tbsp of amaretto
3 egg yolks
100g caster sugar
500g mascarpone
1 cup thickened cream
400g packet of Savoiardi sponge fingers
1/2 cup of toasted hazelnuts (skinless), coarsely crushed (you can do this with a mortar and pestle, a knife or with a food processor but make sure to keep some larger pieces for a lovely texture)
Cocoa powder
The Process
Allow the coffee to cool until just warm, then add the rum and amaretto (if you run out of coffee mixture at any point, make some more and continue the process).
Beat the egg yolks with 75 g of the sugar until very pale and creamy and almost doubled in volume. A slight ribbon should fall from the whisk attachment (or beaters). Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
Wipe the mixer bowl clean, add the cream and remaining sugar and beat to soft medium peaks. Add the mascarpone and whip until it creates a soft, spreadable mixture with medium peaks. Gently fold the mascarpone mixture into the sweetened egg yolks until combined.
Working with one at a time, dip half the biscuits into the just-warm coffee mixture until moistened but not soft, then arrange in a single layer in the base of a serving dish (or you can make individual serves in cute glasses). Pour over half the mascarpone mixture and spread it out evenly with a spatula, then dust the surface with cocoa and sprinkle over the toasted hazelnuts.
Dip the rest of the biscuits in the coffee mixture and arrange them over the hazelnuts. Pour over the remaining mascarpone cream and smooth the surface with a spatula.
Take a moment to admire the lovely layers, then cover with plastic film and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or better yet, overnight. Just before serving, dust heavily with cocoa powder. Spoon into bowls or serve on plates, messily.