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Walter Carlini's Basic Tiramisu

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Recommended Recipe: BelGioioso's Tiramisu recipe

This recipe takes you from square one to the finish. It's everything you need to know to make Tiramisu from scratch. The ingredients: Genoise, Spirits & Coffee Syrup, Mascarpone Creme, Whipped Heavy Cream, Chocolate Gratings (recipes for each follows). Walter is modest enough to admit that he's still impressed with the Tiramisu at Kuleto's in San Francisco. Makes 6 generous servings.

Step 1: Make the Genoise Cake:

Ingredients

• EGGS, 3 whole large

• SUGAR, granulated, 1/3 cup + 3 tablespoons

• VANILLA EXTRACT, 1 teaspoon

• CAKE FLOUR, 1/2 cup sifted

• BUTTER, 2 tablespoons melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.

2. Spray a 9 inch diameter round cake pan or 8 inch by 8 inch rectangular cake pan with vegetable oil spray and lightly dust with cake flour.

3. Beat the eggs and 1/3 cup of sugar at medium speed in a doubleboiler over very hot water (just shy of boiling) until silky smooth.

4. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar and beat at high speed until the mixture reaches a consistency that forms ribbons when poured.

5. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla, and carefully fold in the cake flour.

6. Fold in the melted butter.

7. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake at 350° F for 30 to 40 minutes

8. Remove from oven and immediately turn cake out of pan onto a wire rack to cool.

Step 2: Make the Spirits & Coffee Syrup (there are two alternative methods):

Method 1: Ingredients and Directions

• ESPRESSO COFFEE, 2/3 cup of the strongest you can make

• SUGAR, granulated, 1 tablespoon

• MARSALA, 1/4 cup

1. Mix the sugar into the coffee.

2. Evaporate down (by boiling) the coffee-sugar mixture until only 1/3 cup remains.

3. Add the Marsala and stir.

Method 2: Ingredients and Directions

• ITALIAN COFFEE SYRUP, 2 tablespoons

• WATER, very hot, 3 tablespoons

• MARSALA, 1/4 cup

1. Stir together the Italian Coffee Syrup and water.

2. Add the Marsala and stir.

Step 3: Make the Mascarpone Creme:

Ingredients

• MASCARPONE CHEESE, 1/2 pound

• SUGAR, superfine (or, granulated sugar milled in blender), 1/2 cup

• EGG YOLKS, 2 LARGE

• MARSALA or COGNAC, 3 tablespoons (or substitute 2 tablespoons of Marsala + 1 tablespoon Grappa)

Directions

1. Thoroughly beat the sugar into the Mascarpone cheese.

2. Add the 2 egg yolks and Marsala and beat until the mixture is smooth.

Step 4: Make the Whipped Cream:

Ingredients

• HEAVY WHIPPING CREAM, 1 pint

• SUGAR, powdered, 1 tablespoon

• VANILLA EXTRACT, 1/4 teaspoon

Directions

1. Dissolve the sugar and vanilla extract into the whipping cream.

2. Beat the mixture until glossy and stiff.

Step 5: Make the Chocolate Gratings:

Ingredients

• SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE, good quality, 1 square (1 ounce) well-chilled but not frozen

Directions

1. Grate into fine shavings and set aside (this is most easily done with a food processor because hand grating tends to melt the chocolate)

Step 5: Assemble the Tiramisu:

Directions

1. Slice the Genoise cake in half latitudinally to make two layers.

2. Put one layer of the Genoise cake at the bottom of the serving bowl or pan and sprinkle half of the spirit-coffee syrup over it.

3. Spread half of the Mascarpone Creme over the cake layer.

4. Spread half of the Whipped Cream over the layer of Mascarpone Creme.

5. Sprinkle the Chocolate Gratings over the Whipped Cream layer.

6. Put the second layer of Genoise cake on top of the stack, sprinkle it with the remaining spirit-coffee syrup, and repeat instructions 3 to 5 immediately above.

7. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.