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American, Dinner, FI26: Foundation Recipes, Main course, Soup
Pumpkin soup
To serve a truly irresistible dessert, always start with high-quality ingredients. The character of your coffee will determine much of the flavor in your tiramisù. We recommend using freshly made, high-quality coffee with plenty of flavor. Avoid instant coffee. Let the coffee cool and add water, then either drip it over the biscuits or immerse the biscuits in the coffee for about two seconds. Oversoaked biscuits will go soggy and crumble. Let all your ingredients reach room temperature before whipping them and ensure that your egg whites and your cream are firm before folding everything together. This will guarantee a fluffy mixture that doesn’t separate and turn the tiramisù mushy. Finally, don’t overdo the topping. You want a hint of bitterness from the dry cocoa, but not too much.
One key to non-soggy tiramisù is to make sure that the biscuits are soaked just right. Too much coffee will make the biscuits soft and soggy, turning your dessert into a runny mess. Another key is to whip the egg whites and cream firmly and making sure that all the ingredients reach room temperature before folding them together, to prevent the mixture from separating. If your tiramisù is runnier than expected, give it extra time to set in the fridge. You can also remedy some of the soggy texture by transferring the dessert into individual dessert cups and adding more cocoa before serving.
After assembling your tiramisù, it’s important to give the dessert time to set in the fridge. One hour is the absolute minimum. We recommend waiting at least six hours to let the biscuits soak up enough flavor and moisture from the coffee, and cream. You can leave the dessert in the fridge for up to two days before serving, just make sure to cover it well to prevent it from absorbing unwanted refrigerator aromas.
The creamy mixture of eggs and cheese, sometimes with whipping cream, is an essential part of a successful tiramisù. It should be light, fluffy, and flavorful to complement the soaked softness of the biscuits. It’s important to whip both the egg whites and the whipping cream long enough that they can form firm peaks. This way, there is enough structure to fold and keep the other ingredients in the mixture without it separating.
In many countries, there is a small but real risk of contracting salmonella from raw eggs. Before using raw eggs in your cooking, you should inform yourself about the level of risk in your current location. The best way to eliminate the risk of salmonella from eggs is to buy pasteurised eggs, or to pasteurise the eggs yourself. This is done by gently heating the eggs at exactly 60°C for 3½ minutes. This usually requires special equipment. If the temperature rises above 60°C the eggs will cook, making them unsuited for your tiramisù.
Planning your next dinner party? Making tiramisù in advance isn’t just a smart way to make things easier once your guests are at the table. It actually enhances the flavor and texture of your dessert. Leaving your tiramisù in the fridge overnight gives the different layers in the dessert a chance to get to know each other and exchange flavors. The result is a well-set dessert, smooth and full of irresistible taste.
This beloved Italian dessert is rich and elegant, yet simple to make. With good-quality ingredients and some planning ahead, you can serve a show-stopping tiramisù at your next dinner party.
Tiramisù is Italian for ‘cheer me up’ and there can be no doubt that Italy is its birthplace. But with a dessert as beloved as this, there is bound to be competing origin stories and even legends detailing its invention. Several Italian towns and regions have claimed to be the true home of tiramisù. Today, however, most chroniclers agree that the dessert was first served under this name in the 1960s at Le Beccherie, a restaurant in the northern Italian city of Treviso. Tiramisù then spread and grew in popularity, becoming a global restaurant phenomenon in the 1980s.
The idea behind tiramisù – an indulgent dessert made of layers of different flavors and textures – can be tweaked and reinterpreted to match the season, the context, or your personal taste. You can even make strawberry or raspberry tiramisù, with biscuits soaked in a mixture of fruit preserve. For a citrusy variation on the same theme, you can use juice, zest, and curd of lemon in the different layers.
The classic way to layer a tiramisù is to start with the ladyfingers or savoiardi, briefly soaked in coffee. Next comes half of the egg, cream, and cheese mixture. Then another layer of soaked biscuits followed by a final layer of the creamy mixture. This is topped with a good layer of grated dark chocolate or cocoa powder for the final irresistible touch. The resulting tiramisù should have distinct and visible layers to admire as you serve it.
You can make tiramisù in a large dish, preferably square or rectangular, and then serve pieces of the dessert on plates or in dessert cups. Another method is to make it in individual glass cups that show off the layers in the dessert. For this you may need to break the biscuits into smaller bits. But don’t make the bits too small, as this increases the risk of a soggy dessert.
Fall in love with pasta all over again, as you serve your loved ones creamy dishes made richer with Puck—and your special touch. Our inspiring recipes, general guidelines, and detailed articles will set you on the path to culinary creativity. With Puck’s entire range of cooking creams and sauces that meet your high standards, you’ll love putting your personal spin on pasta.