If you have hiked with us in the last couple of years in Tuscany or Umbria you may well have met Tour Manager Marta. She is a great cook, passionate about the Italian kitchen, and has just completed a Pastry Chef course in her nearby town of Faenza. We asked her therefore to help us with a Christmas recipe which Hedonistic Hikers could try at home. She has shown us how to make this festive Tiramisù, and we think you’ll agree that it looks pretty impressive. We can also guarantee that it tastes delicious! Here’s what you need to do:
Ingredients
4 eggs
4 dessert spoons of sugar
500g mascarpone
Savoiardi biscuits (also known as Lady Fingers)
Coffee
Bitter cocoa powder
Method
Separate the eggs and whisk the whites until firm
Whisk together the egg yolks and the sugar
Gradually whisk in the mascarpone to the yolk and sugar mixture
Gently fold the egg white into the mixture
Stand dry Savoiardi biscuits around the side of the tin you are using – it can be round or rectangular
Soak more Savoiardi biscuits into the espresso coffee – one side only
Make layers of the soaked biscuits and cream mixture to the top of the tin
Leave in the fridge to 2 hours before serving
Sprinkle the top with the sieved cocoa powder and decorate with winter berries and ribbon
Tiramisù is a relatively modern Italian dessert, and most food historians agree that it originated in the Veneto region of Italy. Tiramisù in Venetian dialect means “pick me up” or “lift me up”, reflecting the energy-giving ingredients.
We hope you will have fun making this iconic Italian dessert. Grazie mille Marta! Merry Christmas and Buon Natale!