15 March 2018

Plate Up. Tiramisu

Coffee. Chocolate. Creamy goodness. There's little wonder this Italian dessert literally translates to pick me up. It's a bolt of energy in a simply scrumptious package. One of best friends is Italian and she's currently visiting Australia for the first time, staying with me in Melbourne. On weekends I'm busy playing tour guide, showing her all the sights. But my benefit is even better. She's teaching me all the Italian cooking classics. Starting with this one...


What you’ll need
1.5 cups freshly made espresso (use a cafetera moka if you have one but otherwise a strong brew of instant coffee will do)
1 packet sponge fingers
4 eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
500g marscapone
Cocoa powder to finish


What to do
Brew your coffee and allow to cool. Make yourself a cup while you're at it.


Time to make your mascarpone mixture; in a small bowl, whip your egg whites into stiff peaks and place them in the fridge. In another bowl, whip your egg yolks and the sugar until creamy. Add the mascapone and whip again.


Then take your egg whites from the fridge and slowly fold them into the mixture until it is glossy and velvety. You may not need them all, judge it by the look.


Take your sponge fingers and soak them quickly on either side in coffee.


Pop them in a square dish to create a nice base layer. Add a layer of mascarpone. Then repeat again adding another layer of fingers and another layer of mascapone.


Finish it off with a dusting of cocoa powder and pop it into the fridge for at least 12 hours. Or until you can't fight the urge to take a cheeky spoonful any longer. Ideally the flavours are maximised after 24 hours.


Truly delicious. The marriage of flavours is so much more than the sum of its parts. Why is it that Italians are the best at simple cooking?... Buon appetito.

Share your comments with me on InstagramFacebook or Twitter.

Photos by Krissie.