Beeramisu: A Twist on Tiramisu

Heidi notes: I made a few minor tweaks to Paul's version. I did individual servings instead of a big family-style version and I used Italian-style ladyfingers called savoiardi, they are harder and don't go to mush when you dunk them in the coffee bath. Look for them at Italian markets. A.G. Ferrari here in San Francisco carries them.

1 pound mascarpone cheese
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 eggs beaten (hs note: leave these out if you are worried about eating raw eggs, it's still tasty)
1 tablespoon vanilla
3/4 cup heavy cream, whipped
48 ladyfinger cookies (hs note: I used less, one 7 ounce package)
6 ounces (3/4 cup) Porter beer
1/2 cup brewed coffee, the stronger the better
1/2 cup cocoa

In a large bowl mix together the mascarpone, sugar, beaten eggs and vanilla. Fold in the whipped cream. Set this mixture aside.

In a shallow dish stir together the Porter beer and the brewed coffee, Dip the ladyfingers cookies into the coffee mixture (hs note: if you are using regular non-Italian ladyfingers make it a quick dunk). Don't let the ladyfingers get soggy. Arrange them in a single layer in a glass casserole dish (hs note: 8x8 is prob. fine). Spread 1/2-inch layer of mascarpone mixture on top of the ladyfingers. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cocoa. Repeat this for the second layer. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours before serving.

Serves 12

Tiramisu

Ingredients

500 grams mascarpone cheese
4 eggs
4 tablespoons of sugar
1 pack of Savoiardi (lady fingers) or 500 grams
cocoa powder or 1 shredded dark chocolate bar (I shred it with the cheese grater)
2cups (500 ml, 1 pint) of espresso coffee.

Directions

Prepare the esresso coffee, let it cool down and pour it in a large bowl.
Using a wooden spoon mix together the egg yolks the mascarpone and the sugar.
Whip the egg whites and add them to the mix
Sip (very quickly) the lady fingers in the coffee and lay them on the bottom of a pan
Spread half of the creamy mix on top of it
Continue with another layer of lady fingers quickly sipped in the coffee
Spread the remaining mix on top and sprinkle with the cocoa powder or the shredded chocolate bar.
It can be frozen.

Tiramisu

Ingredients

200g of Savoiardi biscuits or the cakes known as lady fingers

350ml of espresso or strong filter coffee

4 tablespoons of Grand Marnier or Marsala

4 eggs separated

125g granulated sugar

400g of mascarpone cheese

Pinch of salt

2 tablespoons of cocoa powder

Though usually tiramisu is served in a glass bowl so that you can see the rich layers, you can also use a medium sized bowl, or serving dish - at least 23cm by 7cm deep. Just use a dish that you want to present your Italian tiramisu dessert in.

Then break all the biscuits into 2 to 3 pieces each. Divide the quantity of biscuits in half and using the first half line the bottom of the bowl. Spoon half of the espresso or coffee over the biscuits and then drizzle with half of the liqueur.

Whisk together the egg yolks and the sugar until thick and creamy, add the mascarpone cheese and stir well until smooth and thick. In another really clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then add the pinch of salt.

Gently fold the whisked egg whites into the cheese - egg yolk mixture. It’s usually best to add a little of the egg whites first, fold in gently then add the rest of the egg white mixture in around 2 to 3 batches, until all in and mixed up.

Spoon half the cheese/egg mixture over the biscuits in the bottom of the bowl or dish. Place the other half of the broken biscuits on top of the cheese/egg mixture, spooning the remaining coffee and liqueur over the biscuits. Again cover with the remaining mascarpone and egg mixture.

Sift the cocoa powder over the top of your tiramisu dessert.

Cover with cling film, and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours, some people can manage to leave the tiramisu overnight, so it is really chilled for breakfast!