Winding down, a couple of people have recently asked me for which is my favorite among the dozens of Tiramisu recipes out there. Put simply, wife Elisabetta's:
Total Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
4 very fresh, top quality eggs, separated
4 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 pounds fresh mascarpone cheese
Brandy (dashes, optional - depending upon how she feels at the moment)
1 demitasse espresso coffee, diluted with water and lightly sweetened with sugar.
3/4 pound savoiardi cookies (available in Italian delicatessens
-- or use ladyfingers -- 1 savoiardo = 2 ladyfingers)
Powdered bitter chocolate
Preparation:
Beat the yolks with the sugar, then whip in the mascarpone and, if you're using it, the brandy. Whip 2 of the whites to firm peaks (use the other 2 for something else) and fold them in.
Put the diluted, sweetened coffee in a bowl and add about a tablespoon of brandy (to taste here, assuming you want it). Dip the savoiardi in the coffee and line a mold large enough to hold the mascarpone mixture. Fill with the mixture, chill for 2 hours, and dust with the powdered chocolate before serving.
This should serve 6-8.