Christmas Tiramisu

The dessert served at our ward party - Walt's version of Tiramisu - was so unexpected and delicious that we asked for his recipe. Unfortunately, he doesn't follow a recipe, but he did give us a detailed description of what he did. And we decided to try it ourselves. 

 

The first step was a stop at the store for Lady Fingers, Pero (a barley-based beverage) and Mascarpone Cheese.

This made enough filling for a 9x13" pan, plus some more. We made two additional ones in small baking dishes - one gluten-free, and one not. (When we tried it again, I only used 5 eggs and one tub of mascarpone; that was enough for the 9x13 pan with no leftovers.)

Tiramisu - The Royal Palm Beach Ward Version

• 2 cups very hot water
• 2-3 tablespoons dry Pero powder (a barley drink)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon rum extract
• 5-6 eggs, separated
• 1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/3-1/2 cup sugar
• 8-16 ounces mascarpone cheese (1-2 small tubs)
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• Lady Finger cookies (about 36 - or 3/4 of a 14-ounce package)*
• 2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder

Butter a 9x13" pan and set aside. (I forgot about this step; we'll see if it really matters.)

In an 8" square pan, dissolve the Pero powder in the hot water; stir in cinnamon and rum extract. Set aside to cool.

Separate 6 eggs. Whisk the yolks in a double boiler bowl with the Worcestershire, cayenne and sugar. Place over hot water and stir constantly until it reaches 160 degrees. This takes about 15 minutes.  (If you're not concerned about eating raw eggs, you can skip this cooking step.) 

Place cooled mixture in a large bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the mascarpone cheese until smooth. Set aside.

Using a clean double boiler pan, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until fluffy. (Once again, just in a regular bowl if you'd like.) Set aside. Note that six egg whites is definitely the top limit for my double boiler!

 

In another bowl, whip the cream with the powdered sugar until soft peaks form. Set aside. 

Stir half the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture, then add the whipped cream to that. Carefully fold in the remaining egg whites. Set this aside!

Now you're ready to assemble the dessert. Quickly dip the cookies individually into the Pero liquid, no more than a second on each side, and place them neatly in the prepared baking pan. 

Top with half of the cream mixture, then repeat the layers. 

For the final step, dust the top (using a strainer) with black cocoa powder, or regular unsweetened cocoa powder. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight before serving.

Success! It turned out to be wonderfully delicious, just as we had hoped.

*Or make your own lady fingers! This recipe turned out well.