Italian tiramisu with savoiardi biscuits

When I met the family of one of my best friends Polle, it soon became clear that we had an important thing in common. Our love for good food. At almost every celebration there was homemade Tiramisu in the fridge. I think it was the very first time that I tasted Tiramisu at Polle’s place. And ever since they shared their family recipe with me, I never used another one.

In my opinion the best Tiramisu consist of only eggs, sugar, mascarpone cheese, Savoiardi biscuits, coffee, and optionally some liqueur of your choice (I can recommend hazelnut liqueur, amaretto, Licor 43 or spiced rum). A Tiramisu with whipped cream is a no, no for me. You can make your own Savoiardi biscuits (also known as “ladyfingers”) or simply skip this part and buy them at the store. I especially like the bigger rustic Savoiardi biscuits instead of the smaller, thinner ladyfingers. But it is entirely up to you which you like to use.

Ingredients for 8 portions of Tiramisu

For ca. 50 Savoiardi biscuits.
• 4 eggs
• 125g sugar + some extra
• Pinch of salt
• 100g wheat flour
• 20g cornstarch
• Pinch of salt

For the Tiramisu
• 4 eggs
• 100g sugar
• 500g mascarpone cheese
• 18 – 24 Savoiardi biscuits
• 150 ml strong coffee or espresso
• ca. 20g cocoa powder
• A dash of liqueur

Materials
• 2 or 4 bowls
• Rectangular or square dish
• Whisk and/or mixer
• Sieve

How to prepare the savoiardi biscuits

1. Separate the egg whites and the egg yolks in 2 bowls. Make sure that the bowl with egg whites is absolutely free of fatty residues. A trick to do this is to wipe the bowl before use with some lemon juice and a paper towel.

2. Beat the egg whites with 60g of the sugar and a pinch of salt until strong and glossy peaks form. Be careful to not over-whip the egg whites as they will curdle.

3. In the other bowl beat the egg yolks together with 65g of the sugar until light and fluffy. Add this mixture to the stiff egg whites and gently mix it together with a spatula.

4. If the batter is almost evenly mixed, sieve the flour and the corn starch in parts with the mixture and blend in gently with the spatula, as you want to keep as much of the air in the batter. Repeat this process until all the flour and corn starch are combined.

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5. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Put a round 10 mm decorating tip in a piping bag and fill it with the batter. Pipe the batter in 8-10 cm lines on the baking sheet with enough space between each biscuit, as the batter will expand in the oven.

6. Sprinkle the remaining sugar on top of the piped Savoiardi biscuits and bake them for 12 minutes in a 190°C pre-heated oven. Let the Savoiardi biscuits cool and lift them off the baking paper before use.

How to prepare the Tiramisu

1. Separate the egg whites and the egg yolks in 2 bowls. Make sure that the bowl with egg whites is absolutely free of fatty residues. A trick to do this is to wipe the bowl before use with some lemon juice and a paper towel.

2. Beat the egg yolks until foamy and lightly colored while adding the sugar bit by bit until fully dissolved. Add the mascarpone cheese and mix until creamy and smooth.

3. Beat in the other bowl the egg whites until strong peaks form. (When you can hold the bowl upside down and the egg whites stay in place, it is just perfect.) Be careful to not over-whip the egg whites as they will curdle. Fold the stiff egg whites carefully in 3 parts into the egg yolk and mascarpone mixture. Once again try to be gentle to not deflate the egg whites too much as you fold.

4. Make a cup of strong coffee or espresso. In the meantime assemble one layer of Savoiardi biscuits in the dish to check how many fit into the dish. Let the coffee cool down before you add the liqueur of your choice. This way the alcohol will not evaporate. Put the coffee and the liqueur in a small dish with a wide bottom so the Savoiardi biscuits can easily be dipped.

5. Dip the Savoiardi biscuits shortly into the coffee so that the biscuits stay a little firm inside. They should not become mushy or collapse. Arrange the coffee dipped Savoiardi biscuits over the bottom of the dish. Divide half of the mascarpone cream on top of the biscuits.

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6. Add another layer of coffee dipped Savoiardi biscuits and top it off with the remaining mascarpone cream. Smooth the top with a spatula and sprinkle the cocoa powder with a sieve evenly on top of the mascarpone cream layer.

7. Let the Tiramisu set overnight or at least 8 hours before serving. The firmer it gets, the better. It will be well worth waiting for. Buon appetito!

If you tried this tiramisu recipe I would love to see your creations @TalesOfPastry or #talesofpastry. Any questions or suggestions? Drop a comment down below.