This bittersweet dessert has plenty of stories to back its conception. One in particular that stands out is that it was created as an aphrodisiac by a brothel in Treviso, Italy.
Due to ongoing marital issues, several men would visit this brothel to energize/rejuvenate themselves. Italian for "Pick me up", Tiramisu began its journey as Sbatudin, an Italian viagra. To counter its rather sour taste, several ingredients were put to the test, before the chefs settled on Coffee.
However, that wasn't all: Sbatudin required a touch-up. After several trials and errors, the last few ingredients to be added were ladyfinger biscuits, chocolate and mascarpone, giving us Tiramisu.
Tiramisu finally made it to the menus in the 1970s at the Le Beccherie restaurant, however, its origins in a brothel have been deliberately veiled by the prudish standards of the time.
For those who'd like to give this a go, here's a Classic Tiramisu recipe for you.
The dish calls for raw eggs but one can get away with pasteurized eggs. To point out the obvious, many of you will be having a Rachel Green moment when they see Ladyfingers mentioned in the recipe. I assure you, you needn't have your prescription checked.
Prep Time: 30 min
Cooling Time: 3 hrs
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
300 g (about 30) Ladyfinger biscuits
500 g (1.1 lb = 2 1/4 cups) of mascarpone cheese
4 medium eggs (about 220 g/7.7 oz without shells)
100 g (1/2 cup) of granulated sugar
300 ml (1 ¼ cup) of espresso coffee
2 tablespoons of Marsala Wine or Rum (personally I prefer the taste of Rum; its exquisite)
unsweetened cocoa powder
Equipment:
Baking dish (30x19 cm / 12x8 in)
Serving bowls
Electric mixer/ Hand mixer
Espresso machine (optional)
Procedure:
Make coffee. A freshly brewed one from an espresso machine is ideal. Add 2 tbsp of Marsala Wine or Rum to this concoction. Set it aside to cool.
Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Whip the egg whites stiff peaks.
Beat the yolks in a bowl with sugar till they are light and smooth. This should take you about 3-5 min.
Pour the mascarpone cheese into a bowl and beat it with egg yolks. If the cheese is too stiff, soften it with a spoon first.
After 2-3 min of beating, add the egg whites to the cheese. Mix with a wooden spoon till they're soft and creamy.
In your pan, layer the ladyfinger biscuits and mascarpone cream. Some recipes call for dipping the ladyfinger biscuits in coffee before layering. If you wish to do that, make sure you don't soak the biscuits.
Generously create 2 layers of cream and biscuits. Sprinkle cocoa powder on the top. One can even add some dark chocolate chips before refrigerating.
Let it set for 3 hrs before serving.
Enjoy your aphrodisiac and I hope this gives you plenty of energy to satiate yourself and your partner/s.