Tiramisu, the recipe for Italy’s world-famous dessert

First of all, to make your tiramisu, break the eggs and carefully separate the yolks from the whites. 

Add the sugar to the yolks and beat them with a whisk until the mixture is frothy.

Add the mascarpone to the egg and sugar mixture. Do this gradually, blending the ingredients thoroughly with a spoon or spatula.  The resulting cream should have no lumps in it. 

Now, using an electric hand whisk, beat the egg whites until they stand up in stiff peaks.

Fold the beaten egg whites into the egg and mascarpone mixture. Add the egg whites gradually with slow movements, by folding the bottom of the mixture over the top to prevent them from collapsing.

Now it is time to assemble the tiramisu. Spread a layer of cream on the bottom of the dish. Dip the trifle sponges very briefly into the sugared coffee and place them in the dish on top of the cream. Now cover the sponges with another layer of cream and continue to repeat this operation until all the ingredients are used up.

Finish with a layer of cream and cover it with a good sprinkling of unsweetened cocoa powder.

Useful tips and interesting facts

The region of Piedmont, with its truffles and hazelnuts, can boast the best tiramisu of all Italy. This simple recipe requires no cooking but its ingredients need to be of prime quality. The original recipe calls for savoiardi, a dry biscuit, similar to trifle sponges, which traditionally comes from Sardinia. The eggs need to be extremely fresh and so does the mascarpone, a fresh cheese whose flavour is delicate and mouth-filling.  To whisk the egg whites into stiff peaks, they must contain no trace of egg yolk at all. As for the coffee, it is common knowledge that this is a serious topic in Italy. It is preferable to use coffee made with a mocha pot and, if you like its naturally bitter flavour, do not add any sugar. Place the tiramisu in the fridge for at least 3 hours before you need it, covered with cling film, and add the cocoa powder just one moment before serving.  

Variants

There are numerous variations to the traditional tiramisu recipe, starting from the use of dry biscuits other than trifle sponges. You may also replace the coffee with  alchermes, a liqueur that recalls another famous Italian dessert: zuppa inglese (somewhat similar to trifle). As an extra treat, add chocolate drops to the cream or berry fruits for a more summery version.