Tiramisu

(Pick me up)

From Lidia Matticchio Bastianich, owner of Esperienze Italiane Travel/ Felidia, Becco and Lidia's Kansas City Restaurants

March 24, 2000
Web posted at: 12:03 p.m. EST (1703 GMT)

• 5 cups strong cold espresso coffee
• 32 Savoiardi (Italian ladyfingers)
• 5 egg yolks*
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 pound Mascarpone cheese
• 1-2 tablespoons Marsala wine
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Serves 8 to 10

To prepare: Pour the cold coffee into a large pie plate. Dip 16 of the ladyfingers very quickly into the coffee, and line the bottom of a 12x9x2 inch oval dish with them.

	RELATED RESOURCES
Italian recipe swap Pasta recipe swap Food for thought: Italian Pasta shapes and sizes
.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until frothy; add the Mascarpone and Marsala, and blend until smooth.

In another bowl, whisk the cream until stiff and fold into Mascarpone mixture until well-blended and smooth. Using a large pastry bag, pipe about half of the mixture over the ladyfingers. Dip the remaining ladyfingers quickly into the coffee, arrange them in another layer over the cheese mixture, and pipe the remaining mixture over the ladyfingers in an attractive design. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 6 hours.

When ready to serve, sprinkle the cocoa powder through a fine sieve over the entire surface of the tiramisu. Spoon portions onto individual dessert plates.

*Out of concern for health and the potential effect of raw eggs, one might use pasteurized eggs, or an alternative recipe with cooked eggs:

Culinary vacation tours of Italy inspire the imagination
March 24, 2000
Touring Tuscany to learn about wine
February 8, 2000
Buon appetito: A harvest of country Italian cookbooks
December 21, 1999

Lidia's Italy
CNN Travel Now

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.