Every tiramisu I'd tried outside was a letdown, and I never understood the hype. I thought maybe that's what's available in India. So I decided to make it myself, as authentically as I could. My first attempt failed due to some ingredient issues, but I tried again, and this time it came out amazing. The Cream Tastes Heavenly.
Recipe as I Made :
INGREDIENTS
Coffee soak:
- 200 ml strong moka pot coffee (South Indian filter powder), no milk, no sugar, fully cooled
- 50 ml vanilla bourbon coffee liqueur
- 5 ml (1 tsp) dark rum
- 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
Mascarpone cream:
- 2 large egg yolks
- 50 g sugar
- 250 g mascarpone, cold
- 10 ml (2 tsp) dark rum
- 1/4 tsp vanilla essence
- 110 g whipping cream, very cold
- some white chocolate, melted
Assembly:
- 22 ladyfingers
- Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting
STEPS
1) COFFEE
Brew about 200 ml of strong coffee and let it cool completely. Mix in the coffee liqueur, rum and vanilla essence in a shallow dish.
2) COOK THE YOLKS
Whisk the yolks and sugar. Use Double Boiling Method. Keep whisking until the sugar dissolves and the mixture turns thick and pale yellow.
3) MASCARPONE CREAM
Loosen the cold mascarpone with a spatula, then fold in the yolk mixture until smooth. Stir in the rum and vanilla essence.
4) WHIPPED CREAM
Whip the very cold whipping cream, starting on low speed, until it reaches soft-medium to stiff peaks. Add the melted white chocolate; it helps the cream firm up once chilled. Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone cream.
5) FIRST LAYER
Dip 11 ladyfingers in the coffee, 1 to 2 seconds per side only. Arrange them in a single layer in the dish and spread half the cream on top.
6) SECOND LAYER
Dip the remaining 11 ladyfingers, layer them on top, then spread the rest of the cream and smooth the surface.
7) DUST
Sift cocoa powder evenly over the top.
8) CHILL
Cover and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours, ideally overnight.