Thursday 5 June 2008

Tiramisu ... and Alternative

I'm sure the 'pureists' wont like this recipe, but it tastes pretty good. It's not radically different but mine doesn't contain Marscapone or eggs (!) - - - (maybe now under EU Rules I cant call it Tiramisu!) It came about because I was in a hurry to make this for the evening, when friends were coming over, and I'd forgotten to buy Marscapone and forgot to put the eggs in anyway (!)
The quantities dont have to be strictly accurate. (Same applies to Alternative recipe).

This is the recognised recipe:
Ingredients:
Pkt. of Sponge Fingers
approx. 500g. Marscapone (can use 1/2 marscapone and 1/2 ricotta)
approx. 75g. vanilla sugar or sifted icing sugar - again to taste
1/2pt. Double Cream
2 egg yolks
Cocoa Powder - sifted
Approx 1/2pt. Strong Hot Coffe plus
2 tbls. of Marsala (or more)

Method:
1. Whisk together: the marscapone, cream, egg yolks, sugar - until thick but soft. Taste. Set mixture aside.
2. Pour the hot coffee and marsala into a flat, shallow dish - so that you can quickly dip the sponge fingers into it. Dont be tempted to oversoak them otherwise your pud will be too soggy.
3. Place a layer of the wetted/damp sponge fingers in the base of your serving dish, (nb: photo above not mine) - - then a layer of the creamy mixture on top. Continue till you have 2 or 3 layers of sponge fingers and cream - (to choice).
4. Sift a fairly thick covering of cocoa powder over the top.
Leave in fridge for several hours so that all the ingredients soak in well together.

My version of Cream Mixture:
Any mixture of Double Cream, Cream Cheese, Yogurt, Creme Fraiche, Sour Cream -
Plus a little Amaretto.
Sifted Icing Sugar to taste.
Make sure you taste the mixture before using - I like it slightly sour, sweet, but not too sweet.
When the top layer of cocoa has been sifted on, I also grated some dark chocolate over - just because it needs that extra touch!
Everything else is really the same.

Unfortunately this is "calorie city central" - but delicious.

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