What are the recipes that you have at your fingertips, those ones that aren’t even recipes, strictly speaking, but a familiar orchestration of ingredients coming together in that way that you like best?
I pondered this when I was asked recently about which recipe I could make in my sleep. A recipe that I don’t need to measure, or if I do, one that I don’t need to refer to a book or notes for. A recipe that is also adaptable, changeable and perhaps even manageable in an impromptu situation when you have to make do with what you have on hand.
Tiramisu was the first thing to leap to mind.
Tiramisu? But are you sure you don’t need to measure it and that it’s adaptable and flexible as a recipe? Came an uncertain reply.
It’s understandable. Tiramisu is a classic, one that is rarely messed with. And I am all about not messing with classics. Tiramisu has its certain proportions, it’s certain, subtle flavours that make it instantly recognisable as tiramisu. But the more I thought about it, the more I realised that not only do I make tiramisu without a recipe, the same tiramisu more or less, that I have been making since I was about sixteen years old, but there are always subtle changes made to it, depending on what’s in the kitchen.
Take, for example, the liquid for soaking the savoiardi, or lady finger biscuits. I usually use coffee, made in the moka (a classic stove top percolator), because this is how I like my tiramisu. Sometimes a splash of rum or vin santo goes in there, if I have it, and if kids aren’t going to be eating it (the caffeine is enough evil).
The topping. My mother in law tops her tiramisu with large chunks of roughly chopped dark chocolate. It looks gorgeous but I don’t like eating it as much – there’s something about the big chunks that require biting into and the rest of the pillowy soft tiramisu that I find jarring. Grated chocolate is better. But I prefer a layer of bittersweet cocoa powder. It has to be a thick layer of much too much cocoa powder.
The mascarpone filling. I’m all about the full on mascarpone experience. But my mother in law always makes hers with half ricotta, half mascarpone. It’s lighter, she claims. And it’s true – it’s not as rich as an all-mascarpone cream, has a somewhat thicker, more filling consistency but is delicious too.
And that’s just the classic tiramisu.
In one of my favourite little trattorie in Florence, they do a delicious raspberry tiramisu. Squashed raspberries are used not only to soak the savoiardi but as a layer on top in a sloppy, just whipped up magenta-rippled tiramisu that’s been spooned roughly into a ramekin. It’s gorgeous and would work really well with defrosted raspberries, if not in season. I’ve done the same with strawberry tiramisu too and love it – the juice is used as the liquid for soaking and the fruit replaces the chocolate or cocoa on top (just put the fruit on when serving so it doesn’t split the mascarpone).
Another personal favourite that I have is matcha tiramisu. Bitter green tea replaces the coffee for soaking savoiardi and matcha powder takes over the cocoa, a bit of Japanese-Italian fusion, something I’m normally against but it just works so well here – the bitterness of the matcha and the rich, creamy sweetness of the mascarpone.
I think a hazelnut tiramisu would be a good one to try next – frangelico spiking the coffee and finely chopped hazelnuts mingling with the cocoa or grated chocolate on top. See? Tiramisu is an adaptable recipe, if you keep it simple.
For my birthday this year I decided to experiment with a new tiramisu, inspired by one of my favourite gelato flavours – ricotta, miele e fichi (ricotta, fig and honey). I didn’t actually use honey because I had just run out but this just goes to show you that this recipe is what it is because I used what I had on hand.
Slightly more ricotta was used because the tubs are larger than the mascarpone ones and I didn’t want any wastage. Only two eggs were used because that’s all I had in the fridge (well of the freshest eggs anyway). I used spiced rum, watered down, but I would have preferred some vin santo for soaking the savoiardi. Next time. The dried figs I had were delicious, almost apricot-like Greek figs that are pale and yellow rather than dark and caramel-coloured. I added pine nuts but was deliberating over whether pistachio or walnuts would be better. But it all came together just so and the result is my new favourite dessert – understated, just like this year’s birthday.
Adapted slightly from my classic tiramisu recipe, this one has a larger cream filling to lady finger biscuit ratio. There is one less egg, but you can use three if you want to make it a little richer. I also used a little less sugar as the figgy syrup is quite sweet itself. You could also add honey to it but in the end, I don’t think it needs it with the dried figs. I might add it though if proper, ripe figs were in season.
In a bowl, combine the mascarpone, ricotta, sugar and egg yolks. Beat until creamy and pale. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff and gently fold them into the ricotta cream. Place in the fridge until needed.
Cut figs in half and boil them in water until very soft and the liquid has reduced to a syrup-like consistency (a little bit like this fig honey recipe but a quicker version). Remove the figs and when cool enough to touch, chop them into pieces and return to the syrup. Set aside to cool until needed.
If using rum, water it down with 3 shots of water. Place alcohol in a shallow bowl.
Prepare a springform pan or rectangular dish. Begin with a layer of savoiardi biscuits, dipped once, quickly into your chosen alcohol. Place dry side down in pan until you have a full layer. Top with a third of the ricotta cream. Another layer of savoiardi, followed by another third of ricotta cream. Last layer of savoiardi and top with the rest of the ricotta cream. Place in the fridge, covered, and let rest for at least 24 hours. This allows the flavours to mingle and then settle and gives the savoiardi time to absorb the liquid evenly, becoming fluffy and soft.
When it is time to serve, if using the round pan, you can remove and plate the tiramisu, presenting it like a cake. If using a rectangular pan, you can leave it in the dish. Combine the figs and pine nuts along with the fig syrup and spoon over the top of the tiramisu – it looks fresher when done just before serving. Serve immediately.
A delightful combination! I really love the idea. Ricotta is ever so versatile and a great ally when making desserts.
It is indeed, I love ricotta in desserts!
I’m not usually a tiramisu fan but I think you’ve won me over the with this one. Looks like just thing to make with some beautiful fresh ricotta and mascarpone from the Paesanella Cheese shop in Haberfield.
Oh I think you’d like the matcha version, Zita!
It is intuitive, isn’t it? I almost found it a little difficult to put the recipe instructions into words as I’m so used to doing this without reading instructions!
Happy Birtday again Emiko! I love the idea of the fig tiramisu – I am certainly partial to the classic version (we know a place where they make the tiramisu using duck eggs, so so good) but there are so many variations that just work. I love pistachio tiramisu, walnut tiramisu is delicious as well, I have had an orange and coffee tiramisu that was to die for etc etc. I might have to give the fig version a go sometime!
Good luck with your move by the way and hope life becomes a bit more manageable – I still remember how exhausting it was for my sister when my niece and nephews were little (and she had us older siblings plus 2 pairs of grandparents to babysit)!
Duck egg tiramisu? Oh yes, will have to try that (what place is that?). And pistachio tiramisu sounds divine too. Thanks for your well wishes!
Matcha tiramisu?! Wow – I really can’t imagine the combination, but you now have me intrigued.
Oh yes, it’s a very popular dessert in Japan, and absolutely delicious. It works the same way coffee does really as it has that same bitterness that counteracts the sweetness!
Happy Birthday! I adore tiramisu and figs, so this looks perfect. I’ve never tried ricotta in the filling – does it make it ever-so-slightly grainy?
You’d think it would but actually not at all – I think blending with the mascarpone gives an overall smooth result. It’s quite lovely!
I love classics but I often feel like Italians have such an amazing, traditional cuisine that it is hard for them to be adventurous with their ingredients. I rarely see important variations on tiramisu here. Sometimes it is fun to play around and discover something new and delicious. I think this variation is beautiful to look at and it sounds incredibly tempting. I love it!
When it comes to classic tiramisu (and is there really a classic tiramisù, given there are so many slight variations you can make to begin with, as you rightly point out?), I prefer chocolate chunks to cocoa, because it gives the dessert some much-needed texture in my opinion; I like a 100% mascarpone filling and use chocolate milk when making it for the kids (not sweetened however, just bitter cocoa and milk).
Thanks for your comment. Ah chocolate milk for dipping for a kid’s version, good idea! My mother in law still uses coffee for dipping, even for the kids!
This is genius! I think some things are just so ingrained, like a classic tiramisu, that easy substitutions like this don’t occur to us. I can see doing this with quince or persimmon as well, an easy fall dessert. Can’t wait!
I think any fruit would work really well with this – perhaps poached fruit for autumn, fresh fruit for summer!
Looks wonderful as always Emiko! I love that you’ve managed to make the tiramisu refined and elegant!