Well, turns out this was nowhere near as challenging as I thought it would be! It just took a little more thinking on my part, and it turned out wonderfully!
The challenge was 3 part - Make the Tiramisu of course, but also make the Ladyfingers/Savoiardi bsicuts and the mascarpone. So here we go....
Ingredients:
3 eggs, separated
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 cup cake flour, sifted (or 3/4 cup all purpose flour + 2 tbsp corn starch)
6 tablespoons confectioner's suger
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, then lightly brush 2 baking sheets with oil or softened butter and line with parchment paper. (We just used my brand new Sil-Pats.)
Beat the egg whites using a hand held electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gradually add granulated sugar and continue beating until the egg whites become stiff again, glossy and smooth.
In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks with a form and fold them into the meringue, using a wooden spoon.
Sift flour over this mixture and fold gently until just mixed. It is important that you fold very gently and not overdo the folding, otherwise the batter would deflate and lose volume resulting in ladyfingers which are flat and not spongy.
Fit a pastry bag with a plain tip (or just snip the end off; you could also use a Ziploc bag) and fill with the bater.
Pipe the batter onto your parchment lined baking sheets, into 5" long and 3/4" wide strips leaving about 1" space in between the strips.
Sprinkle half the confectioner's sugar over the ladyfingers and wait for 5 minutes. The sugar will pearl or look wet and glisten. Now sprinkle the remaining sugar. This helps give the ladyfingers their characteristic crispness.
Bake the ladyfingers for 10 minutes, then rotate the sheet and bake for another 5 minutes or until they puff up, turn lightly golden brown and are still soft.
Allow them to cool slightly on the sheets for about 5 minutes and then remove them with a metal spatula while still hot and cool on a rack.
Store them in an airtight container till required. They should keep for 2 to 3 weeks.
Next came the Mascarpone. We failed at this. My husband spent an hour trying to get it to temperature hardly coming close, so we called it a lost cause and ran to the store to buy some Mascarpone instead. Recipe Source: Vera's Recipe for Homemade Mascarpone Cheese This recipe makes 12 oz of mascarpone.
Ingredients:
2 cups whipping cream pasteurized
1tablespoon fresh lime juice (lemon works as well)
Directions:
Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a wide skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low so the water is barely simmering. Pour the cream into a medium heat-resistant bowl, then place the bowl into the skillet. Heat the cream, stirring often, to 190 degrees F. If you do not have a thermometer, wait until small bubbles keep trying to push up to the surface. It will take about 15 minutes of delicate heating.
Add the lime/lemon juice and continue heating the mixture, stirring gently, until the cream curdles. Do not expect the same action you see during ricotta cheese making. All that the cream will do is become thicker, like a well-done creme anglaise. it will cover the back of your wooden spoon thickly. You will see just a few clear whey streaks when you stir. Remove the bowl from the water and let cool for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, line a sieve with four layers of dampened cheesecloth (or a dishtowel) and set it over a bowl. Transfer the mixture into the lined sieve. Do not squeeze the cheese in the cheesecloth or press on its surface (be patient, it will firm up after refrigeration time. Once cooled completely, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (in the sieve) overnight or up to 24 hours.
Vera's Notes: The first time I made mascarpone I had all doubts if it'd been cooked enough, because of its custard-like texture. Have no fear, it will firm up beautifully in the fridge, and will yet remain lusciously creamy. Keep refrigerated and use within 3 to 4 days.
Incredients:
1 cup chilled heavy or whipping cream
1 pound mascarpone
1/3 cup sugar
24 ladyfinger biscuits (use as many or as little as you need)
1 cup brewed espresso coffee at room temperature 1 cup orange juice concentrate at room temperature (I literally just thawed a frozen juice concentrate)
1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa power
3/4 tablespoon confectioner's sugar2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting top
Directions:
Chill your bowl and beatings in the fridge for awhile before starting. When ready remove from fridge. Pour the cream into the bowl and whip at high speeds for about 4 minutes or until the cream forms soft peaks when the mixer is lifted up.
In another bowl, whisk together the mascarpone and sugar till smooth. Split into two bowls.
Sift together unsweetened cocoa powder and confectioner's sugar until well blended. Add a small spoonful at a time to one bowl of mascarpone mixture until you reach the amount of chocolatey goodness you desire. If needed add a little milk to keep mixture creamy.
Add 1/3rd of the whipped cream to the mascarpone mixture and fold it in gently. Carefully fold in the remaining cream as well. Add 1/2 of the whipped cream mixture to the plain mascarpone mixture, add the other 1/2 to the chocolate mascarpone mixture, and gently fold in.
Quickly dip half the ladyfinger biscuits into the coffee (or orange juice concentrate) till they are moist but not soggy, or they will fall apart. I just dipped the top side of the ladyfingers and then placed them in the dish bottom down. Arrange the ladyfingers in a single layer in a square or round serving dish.
Spread half the prepared cream in a uniform layer covering the biscuits completely. This is where I put the chocolate layer. Repeat once more with the remaining biscuits and then the other half of the cream. Cover with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 4 hours at least or overnight so the flavors can mature.
Before serving, shake some unsweetend cocoa powder through a fine mesh strainer over the top of the tiramisu. Cut into portions and serve.
This tiramisu keeps well in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 days.
