Easiest Tiramisu Recipe

If you have been a long time reader of my blog, you will realize that I prefer making savory foods than sweet foods. I prefer cooking than baking or making desserts because I am not exactly a big fan of desserts or anything sweet...and I feel that the precision needed to make desserts to be a tad too tiresome. So the desserts I make are usually easy and good to eat - just like this Tiramisu.

There is no baking involved, which is an added appeal, only lots of whisking. I did not add any other flavoring except for vanilla extract and coffee. Surprisingly, after letting it set for a day in the fridge, the tiramisu tasted rather chocolaty with a coffee overtone. It was quite delightful!



While the tiramisu was delightful, I have to admit that I cheated. I could not find mascarpone in the supermarkets here in Malaysia where I live, and I did not want to drive downtown for a tub of cheese. Staying true to the simplistic nature of this recipe, I got Philadelphia cheese. But because it's got a heavier texture than mascarpone, i've added egg whites into the mix to lighten it up - and it worked!

Easiest Tiramisu Recipe

2 blocks of Philadephia cheese, soften
3 eggs, separate the yolks and whites
2/3 cup granulated sugar
200ml strong coffee (3 teaspoon instant coffee + 3 teaspoon sugar)
26 lady finger biscuits
2 tablespoon cocoa powder for dusting
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:
1. Cream the cheese and sugar until light and fluffy with a hand whisk in a large bowl. Add the eggs yolks in one at a time and mix well each time.

2. Now you can start beating the egg whites until they reach stiff peaks in another bowl. Make sure your whisk is clean and do not have a drop of oil all or your whites won't rise.

3. Next you want to fold the egg whites into the cheese mixture but first do a little tempering by mixing 1/4 of the egg whites into the cheese mixture first. This will aid the folding process. Once that is done, add the remaining egg whites into the cheese mixture and gently fold them together. Do not over mix.

4. In an 8x8 inch bakeware, dip each of the lady fingers into the coffee mixture and line the base of the bakeware. And then layer the ladies finger with the cheese mixture. Continue with another layer of coffee dipped lady fingers and layer it again with the cheese mixture. You should end with a layer of cheese mixture on the top.

5. Dust with cocoa powder and let it set in the fridge for at least 6 hours before serving.

But greedy me, i couldn't wait after 3 hours of setting to have a taste so my slice looks a little droopy. My next slice was eaten on the next day, and boy was I floored by the flavor. A little bit of time goes a long way in making a huge difference in the Tiramisu's texture and taste. Time allowed the cheese and coffee to marry into a perfect harmony. Oh, I love how it tastes more chocolatey than coffee! :)