How to Make Tiramisu, Italy's Most Popular Dessert

When it comes to fine Italian dining there is nothing like finishing a delicious Italian dinner with a portion of Tiramisu. Even though it seems like this amazing dessert has been around for ages the dessert was invented in the early eighties or at the very earliest, 1969 by Carminantonio Iannaccone, who claims he first created Tiramisu in Via Sottotreviso while he was head chef at Treviso, near Venice.

This subject is debatable, because others have also made claims to being the creator of this marvelous dessert. One version that is also widely accepted is that tiramisu was created in 1971 inTreviso by Giuseppe Di Clemente. Another source claims that tiramisu was invented in Treviso at Le Beccherie restaurant by the god-daughter and apprentice of confectioner Roberto Linguanotto, Francesca Valori, whose maiden name was Tiramisu. It is understandable that there would be a debate on who invented such a marvelous dessert.

Although there is the possibility that Tiramisu may have dated even further back than the sixties. Tiramisu was once known as Zuppa Inglese because it was a favorite of the English society living in Florence in the 1800’s. Regardless of the date of the creation this marvelous confection, I so glad it got invented, because it is one of Italy’s finest desert masterpieces and a feast for the senses.

The Ingredient and Method for making Tiramisu (serves 6)

Ingredients:

• 10 ½ ounces dark chocolate
• 1 ¾ cups mascarpone cheese
• 2/3 cup heavy cream, whipped until it just holds its shape
• 1 ¾ cups black coffee made with ¼ cup superfine sugar, cooled
• 6 tbsp dark rum or brandy
• 36 lady fingers
• 14 oz unsweetened cocoa, to dust

Method:

1. Melt the chocolate in bowl, set over a sauce pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally. Leave the chocolate to cool slightly, and then stir it into the mascarpone and cream.
2. Mix the coffee and rum together in a bowl. Dip lady fingers into the mixture briefly so that they absorb the soggy mixture, but make sure the lady finger do not become to soggy because the may start to disintegrate.
3. Place 3 lady fingers on 3 serving plates.
4. Spoon a layer of the mascarpone and chocolate mixture over the lady fingers.
5. Place 3 more lady fingers on top of the mascarpone layer.
6. Spread another layer of mascarpone and chocolate mixture and place 3 lady fingers on top.
7. Chill the Tiramisu in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
8. Dust with unsweetened chocolate just before serving.

Tiramisu recipes do vary. Most recipes include eggs, the one above does not. There are even variations of Tiramisu for those on a diet. I haven’t tried the diet version myself so I can’t really tell you if the taste comes close to the real thing. Like all great dessert it is up to you which variation you like the best. The dessert above come from the famous cookbook What’s Cooking Italian by Penny Stephens.

When choosing your ingredients make sure they are quality ingredients. For the finest dessert the finest ingredients are not an option, but a must. For the Mascarpone Cheese find one that is a highly recommended by most food enthusiasts or has the symbol for culinary excellence.

There are many brands of dark chocolate and since it has become more popular, more companies manufacture dark, so again it is recommended that you pick a brand that is of the finest quality. The same goes for the lady fingers you should go with a high quality brand. The ingredients you choose will make all the difference in the world.

For those of you who are looking for a less expensive version of Tiramisu and with ingredients that are easier to find I have included a video with a version that is done with cream cheese instead of Mascarpone cheese. Whether you want to go traditional or try the alternative, I assure you that the results will be a delicious dessert that you and your family can enjoy.