Chef notes
"Tiramisu" translates to "pick-me-up." We serve this tiramisu in small individual glass jars. When you see them lined up in the refrigerator, they are too tempting to resist. In fact, there is never any tiramisu left over at the end of the day!
Technique tip: Stabilize whipped egg yolks with gelatin.
Equipment needed: Stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip.
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups mascarpone
- 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 3½ ounces egg yolks (from 5 to 6 large eggs)
- 2½ gelatin leaves (5 gram gold grade)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, yolks and whites separated
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, for topping
- 6 long espressos (8.4 ounces), cooled
- cocoa powder
Preparation
For the mascarpone cream:
1.In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the mascarpone and cream to soft peaks. Transfer to another bowl and set aside. Clean the mixer bowl and whisk.
2.In the cleaned stand mixer fitted with the whisk, place the egg yolks. Hydrate the gelatin leaves in a bowl of cold water.
3.In a pot, combine the sugar and 5 teaspoons water, place over low heat until the sugar has dissolved, then increase the heat and bring to a boil, and boil until the sugar syrup reaches 239 F. Squeeze the excess water out of the gelatin leaves, add to the hot syrup and let it dissolve. The sugar syrup will bubble up a little as the gelatin is added.
4.With the mixer at medium-high speed, start mixing the egg yolks and slowly stream in the sugar syrup. It will start to rise, increase in volume and become paler and mousse-like. Once the syrup has all been mixed, let it continue to whip until it cools to room temperature.
5.With a rubber spatula, slowly fold the cooled whipped egg yolks into the mascarpone cream until fully incorporated. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip.
For the savoiardi:
1.Preheat the oven to 435 F.
2.In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg yolks and 3½ tablespoons of the granulated sugar until it becomes thick and opaque. It will triple in volume. Transfer to another bowl and set aside.
3.Thoroughly wash and dry the stand mixer bowl and whisk, then fit the cleaned bowl with the whisk attachment. Add the egg whites and whisk at medium-high speed to soft peaks. Slowly add the remaining 3½ tablespoons of sugar and continue whisking to firm peaks.
4.In a bowl, sift the flour, cornstarch and salt together.
5.Fold half the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture until fully incorporated, then add half the flour mixture and fold until fully incorporated. Repeat this process until everything is fully mixed. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip.
6.Line a baking sheet with parchment (baking) paper. Pipe out 12 long oval shapes (like ladyfingers/sponge fingers) about 4¾ inches long and 3/4 inch wide. Make sure they are well spaced out on the baking sheet. Using a small sieve, dust the tops of the savoiardi with the powdered sugar.
7.Bake until lightly golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the baking sheet.
To assemble:
1.Lay the cooled savoiardi in a tray and pour the cooled-down espresso over them to completely soak them.
2.Line the base of each of twelve 1/4-quart glass pots or jars of your choice with the soaked savoiardi — break them in half — and top with 1 inch of the mascarpone cream. Repeat the layering at least one more time. You should be able to fill 12 pots.
3.Top with cocoa powder and serve.
