Italian Dessert Recipes

Homemade Italian Tiramisu

Tiramisu might well be one of the best known Italian dessert recipes and you will definitely find it in every Italian cookbook. The recipes for this wonderful, albeit very fatty dessert vary enormously.

Some recipes even suggest cream cheese instead of mascarpone, just to reduce calories and fat. Well - you'd better not surprise any Italian guests with this variation of Tiramisu - they won't be delighted. Tiramisu has to be fatty. It has to have lots of calories. It's just mouthwatering good if you use a traditional Italian dessert recipe. Here is a very good one. You need:

1/2 pound of Mascarpone

2 eggs

1 packet of biscotti (the long, sugary ones)

1 cup of very strong espresso

powdery sugar

2cl of amaretto

cocoa (not sugared, your best buy would be one of the Dutch brands)

Separate the egg yolk from the egg white. Beat the egg white and put it aside. Then mix the egg yolk, the mascarpone and the powdery sugar until you get a fine, creamy texture that sticks to a spoon. Add the egg white and blend carefully. Do not beat the mixture!

Prepare a cup of really strong espresso and add the amaretto.

Find an oblong dish of glass or porcelaine (although glass will look nicer). Pour the espresso/amaretto-mix onto a plate and put the biscotti into the liquid. You have to be careful: the biscuits have to be soaked thoroughly, but must not be squishy - that may take a bit of trying out until you get the right texture. Then put a layer of the biscotti into the dish. Spread the mascarpone-blend onto the biscotti and sprinkle with cocoa-powder. Put into refrigerator and keep it there for at least two hours. And then: Enjoy!

Best Books for Italian Dessert Recipes