Tiramisu Recipe

Treviso, just northwest of Venice, in the northeastern province of Veneto, is best known for its canals, frescoes and . . . Tiramisu. The famous Italian gastronome Giuseppe Maffioli wrote in an article in 1981: “Tiramisu was born recently, just 10 years ago in the town of Treviso. It was proposed for the first time in the restaurant Le Beccherie. The dessert and its name became immediately extremely popular, and this cake and the name where copied by many restaurants first in Treviso then all around Italy”.

The original recipe calls for the following ingredients: savoiardi biscuits, whipped cream, mascarpone and cocoa powder. In it, there was no liquor as the cake was originally aimed at children and the elderly. The phrase tira-mi-su literally means 'pick-me-up' in reference to the effects of the sugar and espresso on kids. It is best served cold (but not frozen).

Ingredients

10 oz savoiardi (40 lady finger biscuits)

2 cups of strong coffee (espresso or drip coffee)

1 lb mascarpone cheese (at room temperature)

1 cup heavy whipping cream (cold)

½ cup sugar

2 teaspoons bitter cocoa powder

1 glass container 12x8 inches

Preparation

1. Pour cream into bowl, and whip until it thickens.

2. Add the mascarpone cheese and fold gently until you get a uniform mix. Add 3 spoons of coffee, add the sugar, and mix gently.

3. Lightly soak the biscuits in the coffee, one at a time. Place them in one layer in the rectangular container. Evenly spread half of the cream over the biscuits.

4. Repeat the step above for the second layer.

5. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, sprinkle with the cocoa powder, and serve.

Tip: You may add ¼ glass of your favorite liquor to the coffee, if you wish to be “picked-up” even higher.

Amazingly, the “classic” Tiramisu is a newly invented Italian dessert from the 70’s. Yet, it has already become one of the most popular Italian cakes worldwide. The original restaurant “Le Beccherie” still makes today the dessert with the classical recipe: savoiardi biscuits, dipped in espresso, layered with mascarpone cream, and topped with cocoa powder. Bon appétit!