Indulge In Italian Romance With Tiramisu
In the beginning, it was an apple, to tempt Eve’s gluttony. Nowadays we are positive that an apple would not even remotely be enough to intrigue your loved ones; what we, at Marini’s on 57 have in mind is something way more sophisticated to tickle your refined palate… A treat coming all the way from a country whose food culture perfectly reflects its lively, romantic and elegant lifestyle, in two words – “dolce vita”. The country we are alluding to is undoubtedly Italy and the object of desire to manifest your love is the one and only tiramisu. And luckily thanks to Marini’s on 57, KLites don’t need to travel that far to get an authentic piece directly on their tables.
Described as “a slice of heaven in your mouth”, its name sounds like an invitation as it literally means “pick me up” or “cheer me up”. An Italian chef once told us that the authentic tiramisu stands out easily from all the average or counterfeit ones; according to him, the original one is “like a gentle kiss due to its soft consistency of Mascarpone cream, its lingering aftertaste of unsweetened cocoa and the energy of coffee”. These words perfectly portray the delightful feeling of having a first slow bite of tiramisu and savour it before addicting yourself completely to this sweet dish.
So let us guide you through a brief history of this globally popular dessert and its original recipe. Click here to jump directly to its ingredients and preparation.
Origin
While its popularity doesn’t know limits, its provenance is certainly bounded to one country: Italy. When it comes to its original history, however, it’s not so clear as there are plenty of noble and less noble legends around its birth, and different fathers who claim to have invented it.
According to some, Siena, is the city where it first appeared. To celebrate the visit of the Grand Duke of Tuscany (renowned for his gourmet taste), local pastry chefs decided to make a new dessert and labelled it “zuppa del duca” (soup of the duke) in his honour. As one could expect, he loved this delicacy and brought the recipe to his court in Florence, which at that time was the hot spot of the Italian peninsula.
Tiramisu rapidly seduced many people and its recipe spread from there to everywhere in Italy. Other rumours date its appearance back to the sixties in Treviso, Veneto, where it was named in dialect “tiramesù” (then Italianised in tiramisu) for its high energetic content and its presumed aphrodisiac effects!
Therefore, the true story of this exquisite dessert is a sheer riddle, enriched by many characters, places, alleged fathers and different ingredients. Only one fact is certain: this mysterious atmosphere contributes making the Italian treat even more appealing and heavenly!
Original Tiramisu Recipe
Word of mouth, along with its relatively simple preparation, made tiramisu extremely popular all over the globe, with an infinite variation of recipes using different ingredients, styles and garnish methods. The secret of making an excellent tiramisu stands indeed in the high quality of its ingredients.
The first irreplaceable element of an authentic tiramisu is the Mascarpone cheese, made from fresh cream, which is the base for the delightfully soft and mouth-watering cream. Savoiardi, known as ladyfingers (or sponge fingers), are the second original secret. Soaked in espresso coffee with a splash of Marsala wine, they are then eased down to make the famous layers. To close the circle, a shower of cacao powder meets the final layer of cream to convert this piece of heaven in an eye-pleasing composition that is bitter to the right point.
Ingredients For 4 People:
- 300 g of Savoiardi
- 4 eggs
- 350 ml of espresso coffee
- ½ cup of Marsala wine
- 100 g of sugar
- 350 g of Mascarpone cheese
- unsweetened cocoa powder
Preparation:
In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks with half of the sugar until obtaining a frothy and pale cream. Slowly add the Mascarpone cheese and delicately mix to combine everything. In another bowl, whip the egg whites with the remaining sugar and amalgamate the two mixtures.
Spread a uniform layer of cream (⅓) on the bottom of a casserole. Put the coffee together with the Marsala and dip each one of the Savoiardi in; cover the cream by filing your ladyfingers on top of it, one next to the other. Spoon the second layer of cream and again a layer of coffee-dipped Savoiardi. Cover up with the remaining cream…et voilà! It takes about 30 minutes to prepare your piece of heaven; refrigerate for at least a couple of hours and sparkle with unsweetened cocoa powder before serving!
Tiramisu In The Heart Of KL
If now you’re craving for a slice of truly unique tiramisu surrounded by KL’s most exclusive elite, you will be thrilled to check out our menu and discover Marini’s on 57’s Tiramisu – Pick Me Up does not miss a single ingredient from the original recipe, Marsala included. To realize all the desires you might have, our chefs will make available to you a non-alcoholic version under request.
It is commonly known that diamonds are a girl’s best friend but a bit of overindulgence here and there has never hurt anyone. So bring all your sparkle to Marini’s on 57 and let the luxury of our traditional tiramisu guide your senses through a culinary journey you’ll hardly forget.
If tiramisu is not enough for your sweet-tooth, read our previous article on another Italian pride: gelato.
Have you ever tried this delicious dessert? Share your experience below.