Tremendous Tiramisu
Prep
30m
Cook
0m
Total
30m
Bigly says
Sit down for this one. Tiramisu. TREMENDOUS tiramisu. The greatest tiramisu in the history of tiramisu — and here's what nobody tells you, tiramisu is actually a RELATIVELY new dessert, 1960s, maybe 70s, and the Italians fight about who invented it like it's a royal succession. Four different restaurants in northern Italy, all claiming credit, lawsuits, family feuds, food historians taking sides, a guy with a PhD explained it to me once, took him 90 minutes, worth every second. Beautiful drama. And in the middle of all that drama, MY tiramisu walks in and ends the argument. Not even close.
Let me ask you a question. Why do so-called chefs tell you to use 'mascarpone-style cream cheese'? Why. Cream cheese is NOT mascarpone. Cream cheese is American. Mascarpone is Italian. They taste different, they behave different, they melt different — and if you swap one for the other you have not made tiramisu, you have made a sad block of vaguely coffee-flavored dairy. An insult to the dish. If your chef tells you otherwise, find a new chef. Plain and simple.
The real tiramisu — MY tiramisu — uses real mascarpone, real espresso, real SAVOIARDI (the hard Italian ladyfingers, not the soft American sponges that dissolve at a glance), real eggs, real cocoa. That's it. You assemble it, you let it sit OVERNIGHT in the fridge — and this part is non-negotiable, overnight, the full eight hours, do not give it two hours and call it good, the flavors need time to find each other and shake hands — and the next day you bring out a dessert that ends conversations. People go quiet. They stop chewing. They look at their fork like it just told them a secret. Tremendous.
Ingredients
- 4large eggs, separated(very fresh, pasteurized if you're nervous about raw)
- 1/2 cup, dividedgranulated sugar
- 16 oz (2 cups)mascarpone cheese, cold(real mascarpone, not 'mascarpone-style,' there is a difference)
- 1/2 cupheavy cream, cold
- 1.5 cupsstrong espresso, cooled(real espresso, not instant coffee, never instant)
- 2 tbspdark rum or Marsala wine(optional but excellent)
- 1 package (about 24)Italian savoiardi (hard ladyfingers)(savoiardi, the crunchy ones, NOT soft sponge ladyfingers)
- 3 tbsp, for dustingunsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ozdark chocolate, for shaving (optional)
- a pinchkosher salt
Steps
- 1
Combine cooled espresso with rum or Marsala in a shallow dish wide enough to dip ladyfingers. Set aside.
- 2
In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks with 1/4 cup of the sugar and a pinch of salt until pale and thick, about 3 minutes.
- 3
Add the cold mascarpone to the yolk mixture. Whisk gently just until smooth — do not overbeat or the mascarpone will break.
- 4
In a separate clean bowl, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture in two additions.
- 5
In a third clean bowl with clean beaters, whip the egg whites until foamy. Gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and continue whipping to stiff, glossy peaks.
- 6
Fold the egg whites into the mascarpone mixture in three additions — gently, from the bottom up, to keep the air in.
- 7
Quickly dip each ladyfinger into the espresso mixture, about 1 second per side — they should be moistened but not soaked, or they will fall apart.
- 8
Arrange a single layer of dipped ladyfingers in the bottom of a 9x9-inch or 8x11-inch dish.
- 9
Spread half the mascarpone cream over the ladyfingers in an even layer.
- 10
Repeat with a second layer of dipped ladyfingers and the remaining mascarpone cream, smoothing the top.
- 11
Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, so the layers can firm up and the flavors meld.
- 12
Just before serving, dust the top generously with cocoa powder through a fine sieve. Add chocolate shavings if using. Cut into squares and serve cold.
One more thing
Listen. This is the dessert that ends dinner parties. You bring this out, everyone goes quiet. They stop arguing about whatever they were arguing about, they put their phones down — yes, even the brother-in-law who scrolls through dinner like a SOCIOPATH, even him — and they look at the plate. They take a bite. The espresso. The mascarpone. The cocoa. They look at you. They look at the tiramisu. They look at you again. They say, 'How.' You smile. You don't tell them. Or you do tell them and send them to BiglyEats. Either way, you win. Tremendous.
★ QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ONE? ★
Ask Bigly about Tremendous Tiramisu.
Substitutions, what to serve it with, why other chefs are wrong about it. He's got opinions.
★ MORE LIKE THIS ★
KEEP COOKING.
Bigly Affogato
Authentic Italian affogato: hot espresso poured over cold vanilla gelato. Two ingredients, ninety seconds, and a dessert nobody can mess up.
Bigly Antipasto Platter
A generous Italian antipasto platter with cured meats, three cheeses, marinated vegetables, olives, and crostini. Twenty minutes of assembly, zero cooking required.
Huge Bolognese
Slow-simmered Italian bolognese with beef, pork, and pancetta, finished with milk and white wine. Toss with fresh tagliatelle for the real thing.
The Best Bruschetta
Classic Italian bruschetta with ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, and good olive oil on toasted rustic bread. Ten minutes to summer in a bite.