Recipe translation by Gabriella Venezia, trevisoguide@hotmail.com
On a trip to Treviso, Italy, I was introduced to the city’s proud claim to fame as the place where tiramisù was first created. In the late 1800s, the owner and head cook at a small restaurant and sweet shop called Le Beccherie in Piazza Ancilotto, just behind the Piazza de Signori in the center of Treviso, needed a “pick me up.” Actually, “pick me up” is what the word “tiramisú” means.
She created the recipe, and to use 2021 terminology, it went viral, becoming a favorite sweet worldwide. The recipe comes from the “sbatudin” – a mix of egg yolks beaten together with sugar – and is commonly used by Treviso farmers as a restorative for newlyweds.
The home of tiramisù has undergone a complete revamping, but it’s still in the same location where it has been since 1935. It’s no longer owned by the Campeol family, but their famous dessert lives on. In fact, an updated version has been created.
The new version is called “Scomposto,” and while it was beautiful to behold and delicious to taste, the original still won our hearts.
A Tiramisu recipe for 6 people follows.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
4 eggs
2 cups fresh mascarpone cheese
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup dark rum or to taste
4 cups of espresso coffee or brewed/filtered coffee
3 teaspoons powdered bitter cocoa
Salt to taste
24 ladyfingers (in Italian, ladyfingers are called “savoiardi” and are somewhat hard with sugar crystals on top)
Method:
Separate the eggs, whites in one bowl, and yolks in a second bowl. Whip the egg whites until frothy.
Whisk the yokes with 1/2 cup of the sugar.
Add the mascarpone cheese to the yolk and sugar mixture, and stir.
Add the rum and whipped egg whites. Gently mix until absorbed.
Prepare the coffee. Add the balance of the sugar and 4 teaspoons of water, and pour it into a flat-bottom bowl.
Quickly dip the ladyfingers one at a time in the coffee, and lay them in the bottom of a rectangular pan packed close together.
Cover the first layer of ladyfingers with the mascarpone cream mixture, and continue the process until all ladyfingers are in the pan covered with mascarpone cream. The final layer must be the mascarpone cream.
Put the pan of tiramisù in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, and just before serving, sprinkle it with powdered unsweetened cocoa. It’s easiest to use a sifter.
Serve with a side glass of espresso. (To be authentic, the espresso must be served in a small heavy glass, not in a cup).
Editor’s note: You can make a delicious dairy-free version of tiramisu by substituting coconut cream for the mascarpone. It will be a bit watery while you make it, but if you refrigerate it long enough, it will set at least to a sufficient degree. The coconut flavor lends itself to the recipe and is very tasty.
Barbara Angelakis is one of the founders of LuxuryWeb Magazine, and she is its Senior Travel Writer. She travels the four corners of the world with a thirst for knowledge and a twinkle in her eye, seeking out the history of people and places and sharing her experiences. She specializes in culture and history along with luxury destinations, hotels/resorts/cruises/spas, and most recently Jewish Heritage, exploring the historical connection between Jews and their host countries. She has been recognized for outstanding coverage as “Journalist of the Year” by the Tanzania Tourist Board and is the recipient of the MTA Malta Tourism Press Award, the first American to receive this honor. For the past 25 years, Barbara has written extensively for LuxuryWeb Magazine, and her work can also be found at The Jerusalem Post, Jewish Link, Epoch Times,and Vision Times.
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