TIRAMISU提拉米苏

 @12th September 2010

I used to regard Tiramisu as a Japanese dessert, not until I read from a food magazine, saying that Tiramisu literary means pick me up in Italian word and it is one of the most popular Italian cakes!

To me simplicity is one of my main mottos in cooking; hence I wasn't keen to attempt any dishes which I deem complicated with lots of ingredients and need a lot of skills in it. Initially, Tiramisu was classified under that category.

However not until Helen, another cooking member of mine who specialized in baking demonstrated making this heavenly Italian dessert, then only I realized the process was not that difficult after all.

So, I had my first attempt last Sunday morning, at night I took out and served the dessert at a friend's house and you know what? The cake walloped by the kids within minutes.

Comment from Ray for that night was: "One of my happiest time for tonight is eating delicious cheesecake and playing hide and seek and chess ………."

Now, sharing below the recipe from Helen, hope you able to capture your love one's tummy with this too :-P

TIRAMISU INGREDIENTS: 1 packet (250g) sponge fingers (you can replace with sponge cake split into 2 layers) 1 cup of strong coffee (for dipping sponge fingers) 1 Tbsp rum/brandy/marsala (Optional if serving to kids) 4 egg yolks ½ cup castor sugar 250g mascarpone cheese/cream cheese (I used Philadelphia block cream cheese) 300ml fresh cream 3 tsp gelatine ½ cup hot water 1 tsp Cocoa powder to dust 20cm diameter spring form tin (you can use square tin layer with baking paper ) METHOD: Combine coffee and rum in a bowl. Mix gelatine with hot water and stir until gelatine is fully dissolved. Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a bowl over a heated water pot until creamy (double boiling method to sterilise egg yolks). Using an electric mixer beat the cream cheese until smooth and pours in gelatine mixture and blends mixture to smooth. (Ensure gelatine mixture not too hot before pouring into cream cheese.). In a separate bowl, beat fresh cream until creamy but not too thick. Combine egg mixture, fresh cream into cream cheese mixture and cream together until smooth. Dip half the sponge fingers one at a time in coffee mixture. Arrange over the base of 20 X 20 cm square tin or 20cm diameter spring form tin, trimming to fit if necessary. Spread half the cheese mixture over sponge layer. Repeat the same step 7& 8 with remaining sponge fingers forming 2nd layer. Cover with aluminium foil and refrigerate at least 3hrr or overnight. Dust top with cocoa powder and cut into slices to serve.