Tiramisu … just the way I like it!

1 August 2011

Jared will make his request to us now and then. This time round, he wanted to eat Tiramisu. It is like pregnant woman craving for food during pregnancy. This boy of mine will crave for food during his exam time. Must be the stress from exam preparation and revisions sessions with Hubby and I.

On last Tuesday, on the way home, I saw Cake Sense around TTDI neighbourhood. I stopped by and bought a few pieces of cake … Tiramisu for Jared, Chocolate cake for Jaden and orange yogurt cake for Hubby. I was planning to eat whichever cake that they couldn’t finish. Jared finished the entire Tiramisu cake and he didn’t offer me!

I decided to bake Tiramisu cake over the weekend so that we'll have more to share. I still have 3 packets of ladyfingers at home. I’ve baked tiramisu several times now but somehow, the texture was not the way I like it. The recipe that I used called for gelatin too, which I don’t quite like.

Hubby had printed this Tiramisu recipe from Allrecipes in Jun 2001, during our courtship time when Hubby was trying to impress me. Surprisingly, I still have copy of the recipe in my baking file. What I like about this recipe from Allrecipes are the egg yolks were cooked over double boiler and the recipe does not use gelatin.

I had been searching for glasses suitable for tiramisu, something that is not too big and not too small and also not too high that I can keep in my fridge. Finally, I chose the candle holders from Ikea, not to be used as candle holder but for my tiramisu.

Hubby and Jared didn’t like the cocoa powder dusting. I’ve dusted too much and too thick that they got chocked by the cocoa powder. Other than that, the taste was great and the texture was just right … just the way I like it! Hubby gave 9.5 points. He deducted 0.5 point for the cocoa powder dusting that was too thick.

Last week, Aunty YC bought this pizza book for me. Coincidentally, Hubby suggested to have pizza for lunch on Sunday. I made 2 big trays of Pizza (for my sister) and 2 medium trays of Pizza for my family.

The pizzas were great. After pizza for lunch, Hubby had Tiramisu and his favourite coffee for dessert. It is Italian day at home.

I brought 3 glasses of Tiramisu to office. My colleagues loved them. Fei Yin and Wendy asked for the recipe.

I would like to share the Tiramisu recipe here since it was just the way I like it. I can also refer to it now and then. I’ve made some changes to the recipe as the mascarpone cheese tub that I bought was only 250g and not 280g as originally asked for. I've also incorporated some changes by combining other Tiramisu recipe that I like.

Ingredients:

• 6 egg yolks

• 225 g white sugar

• 250 g mascarpone cheese (RM18.50)

• 400 ml heavy whipping cream
   (RM15.00 for Anchor 1 litre pack)

• 1 tbsp Kahlua

• 2 packets of ladyfingers / sponge fingers
   (RM8.80 for a pack of 4 rows)

Coffee flavored liqueur:

• 2 tbsps instant coffee powder

• 4 tbsps caster sugar

• 90 ml hot water

• 90 ml Kahlua

 • Cocoa powder for dusting

Directions:

1. Combine egg yolks and sugar in the top of a double boiler, over boiling water. Reduce heat to low, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
2. Remove from heat and whip yolks until thick and lemon colored.
3. Add mascarpone to whipped yolks. Beat until combined.
4. In a separate bowl, whip cream to stiff peaks.
5. Gently fold into yolk mixture.
6. Add in Kahlua and set aside.
7. Split the lady fingers in half, soak in coffee flavored liqueur and line the bottom and sides of a large glass bowl. In my case, I used small glasses for individual serving.
8. Spoon cream filling over the lady fingers.
9. Repeat ladyfingers and filling layers.
10. Refrigerate several hours until set or overnight.
11. Dust with cocoa powder before serving. 

The above recipe can yield 20 glasses (Ikea candle holder) of Tiramisu.

Hubby and Jaden on skyppe with his sister who is in US while I was busy admiring my creation.