My youngest brother, his wife and MIL were in town over the weekend. Since moving to Texas a few years ago my brother has told me many times that there are definitely foods he misses from NY that he can't seem to find in Texas, or, when he does find them the taste just isn't the same. Usually when they come home my brother makes it a point to eat at as many of his favorite places as possible whether that is at a restaurant or at the home and cooking of a family member. Pizza, bagels, Chinese food, and my grandmother's meatballs and tomato sauce are always must eats and in the case of my grandmothers sauce he will call her incessantly to remind her that he is coming so she won't forget to have it ready. This year we had to gently break it to him that he shouldn't ask my grandmother to cook for him anymore, at almost 89 years of age she shouldn't have to cook for ANY family anymore and my grandmother is perfectly happy with this arrangement. We are the ones cooking for her now. My brother was disappointed but understood and so to console himself he asked for a tiramisu.
Years and years ago a friend of mine, after much begging on my part, gave me a recipe for a basic tiramisu that was easy to make and always turned out yummy. It was a recipe that I took pride in because I could do it well and was always happy to make it for friends, ESPECIALLY friends that requested it all the time (Hi Tony!). The recipe had been scribbled onto a bit of brown paper bag and after coming into my possession it was splashed with coffee and smudged so many times I lost count. I kept telling myself I should really sit down and make the effort to copy it somewhere more permanent but you know me, She Who Procrastinates, I never did get around to copying it and sure enough, I finally lost track of it, arghhhh!
So Friday night my brother's request had me searching online for a new tiramisu recipe. I came across many, many recipes ranging from very easy to quite involved and with so many surprising variations that I really had a hard time picking. In the end I chose a recipe from that good old standby recipe site Epicurious.com. I wanted something that was a little different tasting than the average tiramisu AND I wanted a recipe that called for cooking the eggs. Traditionally tiramisu calls for raw yolks and my old recipe was in fact a raw yolk tiramisu but with salmonella such a problem these days and the fact that my grandmother would be eating this I didn't want to take any chances.
OMG, this was soooooo good, rich and creamy and verrrry satisfying. This recipe, with a few modifications on my part is definitely a keeper. I should warn you; this isn't a dessert for children. There is quite a bit of caffeine and a LOT of alcohol in this, maybe a bit too much alcohol in my opinion. Luckily, after 24 hours in the fridge the flavors mellowed and some of the alcohol evaporated so it wasn't so bad but still, it was a bit overpowering. I had to warn people at our family gathering not to eat a piece of this before driving home. Reducing the alcohol is definitely one of the modifications I would make, much less booze I’m sure wouldn’t take away too much from the taste of the dessert. Anyway, this recipe makes a HUGE amount of tiramisu. I imagine if I were making this the trifle it was intended to be then the trifle dish would have to be the size of a punch bowl! I made a two-layer rectangular tiramisu in a 9x13 in. Pyrex baking dish and had enough left over to make ANOTHER two-layer tiramisu in an 8-in square Pyrex cake pan!
I'm including the recipe as it was presented on the site along with the recipe for the chocolate leaves. I didn't make the chocolate leaves though. please I'm lucky I had time to make the tiramisu! I just dusted the top of the tiramisu with some unsweetened cocoa powder, but one day I would love to sit down and make the chocolate leaves and present the dessert the way it looks in the photo, (see below for link to photo) it was pretty. Also, I didn't grind up the chocolate, instead I used mini semi-sweet chocolate chips and scattered them in between layers for that extra special bite of chocolate love. I’m cool like that you know. OH! I do want to note that over the years I have learned to stop dipping the ladyfingers directly into the coffee liquid because my experience has been that the ladyfingers become too soggy too fast, I like to use a pastry brush instead. I really believe that gives me much more control over how much liquid gets into the cookies and makes for a less soggy dessert. As for the 12 egg whites that didn’t get used, I froze them for use in something else, maybe some meringue cookies or amaretti!
From Epicurious.com
TIRAMISU EGGNOG TRIFLE (clicky on the title to see the picture on the Epicurious site)
The classic dessert gets a holiday twist with eggnog flavors and an opulent presentation. Begin making this one day before serving.
Whisk 1 1/3 cups sugar, 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup rum, 3 tablespoons brandy, yolks, and nutmeg in metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Whisk constantly until mixture thickens and candy thermometer inserted into mixture registers 140°F for 3 minutes, about 5 minutes total. Remove bowl from over water. Whisk mascarpone, 1 container at a time, into warm custard until blended. Using electric mixer, beat whipping cream, vanilla, 1 tablespoon brandy, and 1 teaspoon rum in large bowl until cream holds peaks. Fold in mascarpone mixture.
Bring 1 cup water to simmer in small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add 2 tablespoons sugar and espresso powder; stir to dissolve. Mix in liqueur. Submerge 1 biscuit in espresso mixture, turning to coat twice; shake excess liquid back into pan. Place dipped biscuit, sugared side facing out, around bottom side of 14-cup trifle dish, pressing against side of dish (biscuit may break). Repeat with enough biscuits to go around bottom sides of dish once. Dip more biscuits and arrange over bottom of dish to cover.
Spoon 2 cups mascarpone mixture over biscuits; spread to cover. Sprinkle 1/4 cup ground chocolate over, making chocolate visible at sides of dish. Repeat with more biscuits dipped into espresso mixture, mascarpone mixture, and ground chocolate in 2 more layers each. Cover with 1 more layer of dipped biscuits and enough mascarpone mixture to reach top of trifle dish. Sprinkle remaining ground chocolate over, covering completely. Cover and chill overnight.
Gently press stem end of largest chocolate leaves around edge of trifle. Fill center with smaller leaves. (Can be made 8 hours ahead; chill.)
*Available at Italian markets, specialty foods stores, and some supermarkets.
Makes 16 to 18 servings.
Bon Appétit December 2003
This recipe is an accompaniment for Tiramisú Eggnog Trifle.
Line large baking sheet with foil. Melt chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water, stirring until smooth and instant-read thermometer inserted into chocolate registers 115°F. Brush chocolate over veined side (underside) of 1 leaf, coating thickly and completely. Arrange chocolate side up on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining leaves and chocolate, rewarming chocolate if necessary to maintain 115°F temperature. Chill leaves until firm, about 45 minutes. Starting at stem end, carefully pull back green leaf, releasing chocolate leaf; return leaves to same baking sheet. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.) Using small artist brush, carefully brush some leaves with gold dust, if desired. *Available at cake and candy supply stores, or by mail from Jane's Cakes and Chocolates at 800-262-7630.
Makes about 40.
Bon Appétit December 2003
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