'I miss you every Christmas day,' said my former sister-in-law, Anita, as she hugged me goodbye after we had caught up recently. 'And I especially miss your Tiramisu,' she added, with a wink and a smile. Tiramisu is among the most-requested desserts on my repertoire and I've been making it now for, let's see, oh... about forty years. So, yes, I consider that it is one of my specialties. The cream for this classic Italian dish is traditionally made with raw eggs, which are whipped separately to a sweet and delicious mousse consistency before being added to Marsala-infused mascarpone. Given the delicate state of my immune system these days, I thought it best that I look for an alternative to the raw eggs, which should never be consumed by anyone who might be at risk of salmonella poisoning. That is, pregnant women, young children, the elderly and those suffering from any kind of immune deficiency diseases, like me. Zabaglione, Zabaione (Italian) or Sabayon (French) is a lightly cooked custard-like sauce made from egg yolks whipped with caster sugar and a little alcohol in a copper or stainless steel boil suspended over barely simmering water. I adore it and thought it would sit beautifully in a Tiramisu with my homemade mascarpone and some whipped cream. It takes patience and a little practice to get it right, but after you've made it a few times, you won't look back. Of course Tiramisu can be served all year round, but it does seem to be hugely popular in the Festive season, which is approaching all too rapidly. Happy cooking, dear friends. My recipe for Tiramisu made with Zabaglione mascarpone cream...
TIRAMISU WITH ZABAGLIONE MASCARPONE CREAM
1/2 cup strong black espresso coffee (cooled) 2 tablespoons Kahlua 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 110g/12 Savoiardi Italian sponge finger biscuits 5g dark chocolate, for grating For the Zabaglione: 3 large free-range egg yolks 1/4 cup vanilla infused caster sugar 1-2 tablespoons Marsala, if using For the cream: 3/4 cup cream, whipped 260g mascarpone Combine the coffee with the Kahlua and the vanilla extract in a shallow dish and set it aside. Next, make the Zabaglione. Combine the egg yolks and caster sugar in a stainless steel or copper bowl which you have sat over a pan of gently simmering water. Take care that the base of the bowl is not touching the water. Add the marsala, if using. Whisk constantly for ten minutes or more, until the mixture thickens to a pale, light but thick and fluffy mousse. Take care not to let it boil, burn or scramble. Add a serving spoon of the whipped cream to the slightly cooled Zabaglione and fold it through. Then mix the rest of the whipped cream into the bowl. Now, fold in the mascarpone, mixing well but taking care not to beat the air out of the cream. To assemble the dessert, have an attractive serving dish ready. Dip six of the sponge finger biscuits into the coffee/Kahlua mixture and arrange them over the base of the dish. Spoon half the Zabaglione mascarpone cream over the biscuits and grate some chocolate over the top of that layer. Now dip the remaining sponge finger biscuits into the coffee/Kahlua mixture and arrange them over the top of the cream. Finish with the rest of the Zabaglione mascarpone cream, smoothing the top neatly with a spatula. Grate the rest of the chocolate over the top. Cover the dish with a sheet of cling wrap and refrigerate the Tiramisu for several hours. This quantity will serve 4-6, depending on appetites. By all means double the quantities if you need to. Preparation time: 30 minutes. Cooking time: 30 minutes. Chilling time: 6 hours or so. Note, I have always preferred to use Kahlua instead of Marsala in my Tiramisu. Of course you can use Marsala if you wish.
Tell me dear readers, do you love zabaglione and tiramisu as much as I do? And do you worry about consuming raw eggs?
23 Comments
June
14/11/2015 02:26:26 am
Hi Liz, I love your recipe for tiramisu. It is very similar to mine. I also make zabaglione I don't like raw eggs in anything. Love your recipes.
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Lizzy
14/11/2015 02:33:44 am
Hi June, thank you kindly... glad to hear from someone else who is wary of raw eggs xx
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Peter
14/11/2015 03:28:41 am
I like this because it's not so sweet and also you've made that cooked custard. Better than raw eggs.
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Lizzy
14/11/2015 03:31:55 am
Thank you love. I like the way I used to make it, but this with the sabayon is better. xx
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Andrea Butler
14/11/2015 04:47:53 pm
Hi Liz,
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14/11/2015 04:52:19 pm
I'm not really fond of coffee flavoured things, but will always make an exception for Tiramisu. I love it and it's such an easy, but impressive dish to prepare.
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14/11/2015 08:11:44 pm
Sounds great Liz, will recommend to my elderly mother.
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Eha
14/11/2015 09:05:30 pm
Oh gosh and golly! I don't' do' desserts but remember zabaglione from so many of my 'young bride' days :) ! 'Yummo'!!! And I'll be 'good' for a week and provide this for my next few to have lunch or dinner :) ! Just your way 'cause love the coffee and the blessed Kahlua together!!
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15/11/2015 02:04:59 am
This is one of my favourite desserts. I don't know a single soul that doesn't love it to bits. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
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15/11/2015 04:53:57 am
Pilchard makes a mean Tiramisu Trifle - but strangely, it's only at Xmas time!! I guess it's so awesome we couldn't cope with it more than once a year. For some weird reason, I've never worried about the raw eggs in it - I'm usually a bit squeamish about such things. Maybe the WOW factor overrides it??!!
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Dear Lizzy, the one thing always kept me back from making this is a food memory -- I had it once and the biscuits were wet and soggy --- so I never wanted to spend the money on the ingredients. I worked for years on perfecting my trifle for the exact same reason. Do you have an advice for someone who is tactile impaired?
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15/11/2015 12:32:50 pm
Love Tiramisu! Never make it for some reason -- one of those things I'll order at a restaurant. Really need to make this -- so nice. And I love the idea of the Kahlua!
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15/11/2015 04:25:29 pm
i do love tiramisu, and often the ones served in restaurants here are so disappointing.
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16/11/2015 01:15:47 am
Awwwwh YARM! I love Tiramisu! But it doesnt feature ever in my life.... better get on changing that. And with Kahlua, we used to do something similar at one of the restaurants I cooked at a bazillion years ago. :)
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16/11/2015 01:28:56 am
This must have been so light Liz! I use free range eggs straight from the hens as we don't have health issues thankfully :)
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17/11/2015 09:12:27 am
I am not much of a Tiramisu fan but my man goes nuts for this italian treat. Would love to make this sometime when it's warmer again with your ingredients choice. :)
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When I bought my Thermomix there is a method for pasteurising eggs. I do this when I'm making egg dishes for guests. I'd be mortified if someone got ill.
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7/12/2015 08:45:06 am
What a lovely tiramisu! I haven't had it in a long time and now I've got a craving. You could also use pasteurized eggs. They're actually all I have in my kitchen.
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Trish Weir
17/12/2016 06:33:57 am
Yum- this is my Christmas dessert..
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Cooking and writing have been a lifelong passion. Join me as I share with you my favourite recipes; postcards and morsels from my travels; conversations with cookery writers and chefs; and news on food, cookbooks and cooking. - Liz Posmyk
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NB: I use Australian standard measuring cups and spoons in my recipes.
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