Irish cream tiramisu
A lot of recipes need a little tweaking; nothing major, just a little more of this or a little dash of that. But even Goldilocks couldn't find fault with this Irish cream tiramisu. It's creamy, not too rich and completely perfect. If you throw as many elaborate dinner parties as my parents do, you need a recipe you can count on every time. This is that recipe.
It's funny, I've seen so many episodes of Nigella on TV but I haven't tried many of her recipes. I think it's the way she so wholeheartedly and expressively enjoys her cooking that I, as a fellow 'foodie', almost don't need to do it myself. Does that make sense? I watch Nigella cook and, with her first bite, I'm satisfied. But don't leave it at that today. This is too good to miss.
I love coffee. If you're a friend of mine, I've dragged you into coffee shops more often than not. Even though none of you actually drink coffee... sorry, guys ;) In this recipe, the coffee lends a deep intensity that marries so well with the warm burn of the Baileys down your throat, the perfect contrast to the sweetness of the savoiardi biscuits and the dreamy lightness of the mascarpone cream melting on your tongue. It's a divine combination of flavours.
The second layer of soaked savoiardi biscuits over a blanket of soft mascarpone cream.
Your guests will think you slaved over this dessert. Honestly, it's so easy, it's almost embarrassing. Make it the night before to allow the biscuits to soak through and to give all the flavours a chance to come together - you'll also have one less item to think about on the day. On the other hand, it's very forgiving if you're short on time (though I'd recommend no less than eight hours in the fridge). I needed to pick up some Baileys and could only make it that morning. I just soaked the biscuits a little more and none were the wiser. Sshh.
Did you know tiramisu actually means 'pick me up' or 'wake me up'? It's just another yummy way to serve your guests coffee after dinner. If you try it, let me know what you think. To me, this is heaven on a spoon.
Irish cream tiramisu
Recipe from Nigella Express. Serves 12.
INGREDIENTS
- 9 teaspoons instant espresso powder dissolved in 350ml/1½ cups water (cooled)*
- 250ml baileys
- 400g savoiardi biscuits/ladyfingers/sponge fingers
- 2 large eggs
- 75g caster sugar
- 500g mascarpone cheese
- 2½ teaspoons cocoa powder
METHOD
Mix the coffee with 175ml/¾ cup of the Baileys in a shallow bowl. Dip the biscuits into this liquid; let them soak on each side enough to become damp but not soggy (about 4-5 seconds each side). Line the bottom of a 22cm/8½ inch square glass dish with a layer of biscuits.
Separate the eggs, but keep only one of the whites. Whisk the two yolks and the sugar together until thick and a paler yellow, then fold in the remaining 75ml/¼ cup of Baileys, and the mascarpone to make a moussy mixture.
Whisk the single egg white until thick and frothy; you can do this by hand with such a little amount. Fold the egg white into the yolky mascarpone, and then spread half of this mixture on top of the layer of biscuits.
Repeat with another layer of soaked savoiardi, and then top with the remaining mascarpone mixture.
Cover the dish with clingfilm and leave in the fridge overnight. When you are ready to serve, push the cocoa powder through a small tea strainer to dust the top of the tiramisu.
Notes: You can replace espresso powder with instant coffee but it's nowhere near as strong; a Google search suggests using 50% more instant coffee. I'd say just replace the 9 teaspoons of espresso powder with 12 teaspoons of the best instant coffee you can find.
When soaking the biscuits, if you've dipped them too quickly and have a lot of the soaking liquid left, feel free to drizzle over the excess syrup with a spoon before adding the mascarpone layer.
