Saturday 27 February 2010

Heaven on a Dessert Plate Tiramisu! Daring Bakers Challenge February 2010


Each time when I see the Daring Bakers Challenge I was like my my these ladies can bake, month after month they whipp up things and they all look so delicous.
Every month I see what they have made, I will telling in my mind I should join them as I would love to bake special cakes, desserts like they doe.
But each time I chickend out. I will be saying to my self, what if I cannot make these cakes they make or some excuse I will make.
But then last month I told to myself I should join them and before I could discuss in my mind all the pro and con I just went to their website and joined up.
I really enjoyed making my first challenge and I am sure looking forward to the next month.

Well I am really glad I joine dthe group this month.
As this months hostes were Deeba from Passionate about baking and Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen.
It was Tiramisu and not the usual tiramisu.
We had to make our own MASCARPONE + SAVOIARDI BISCUITS + ZABAGLIONE

I have never made any cheese and I was really curious how the end results will be. Have to say no more supermarket bought mascarpone as this was really easy to make.

TIRAMISU
makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
For the zabaglione:
2 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar/50gms1/4 cup/
60ml Marsala wine (or port or coffee)1/4 teaspoon/ 1.25ml vanilla extract1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
For the vanilla pastry cream:
1/4 cup/55gms sugar
1 tablespoon/8gms all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon/ 2.5ml vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup/175ml whole milk

For the whipped cream:1 cup/235ml chilled heavy cream (we used 25%)
1/4 cup/55gms sugar
1/2 teaspoon/ 2.5ml vanilla extract

To assemble the tiramisu:
2 cups/470ml brewed espresso, warmed1 teaspoon/5ml rum extract (optional)
1/2 cup/110gms sugar1/3 cup/
75gms mascarpone cheese
36 savoiardi/ ladyfinger biscuits (you may use less)
2 tablespoons/30gms unsweetened cocoa powder

Method:
For the zabaglione: Heat water in a double boiler.
If you don’t have a double boiler, place a pot with about an inch of water in it on the stove. Place a heat-proof bowl in the pot making sure the bottom does not touch the water.In a large mixing bowl (or stainless steel mixing bowl), mix together the egg yolks, sugar, the Marsala (or espresso/ coffee), vanilla extract and lemon zest. Whisk together until the yolks are fully blended and the mixture looks smooth.Transfer the mixture to the top of a double boiler or place your bowl over the pan/ pot with simmering water. Cook the egg mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 8 minutes or until it resembles thick custard. It may bubble a bit as it reaches that consistency.Let cool to room temperature and transfer the zabaglione to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.

For the pastry cream:
Mix together the sugar, flour, lemon zest and vanilla extract in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. To this add the egg yolk and half the milk. Whisk until smooth.Now place the saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring constantly to prevent the mixture from curdling.Add the remaining milk a little at a time, still stirring constantly. After about 12 minutes the mixture will be thick, free of lumps and beginning to bubble. (If you have a few lumps, don’t worry. You can push the cream through a fine-mesh strainer.)Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.

For the whipped cream:
Combine the cream, sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer or immersion blender until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Set aside.

MASCARPONE CHEESE

Ingredients:
474ml (approx. 500ml)/ 2 cups whipping (36 %) pasteurized (not ultra-pasteurized), preferably organic cream (between 25% to 36% cream will do)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Method:

Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a wide skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low so the water is barely simmering. Pour the cream into a medium heat-resistant bowl, then place the bowl into the skillet. Heat the cream, stirring often, to 190 F. If you do not have a thermometer, wait until small bubbles keep trying to push up to the surface.It will take about 15 minutes of delicate heating. Add the lemon juice and continue heating the mixture, stirring gently, until the cream curdles. Do not expect the same action as you see during ricotta cheese making. All that the whipping cream will do is become thicker, like a well-done crème anglaise. It will cover a back of your wooden spoon thickly.
You will see just a few clear whey streaks when you stir. Remove the bowl from the water and let cool for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, line a sieve with four layers of dampened cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Transfer the mixture into the lined sieve. Do not squeeze the cheese in the cheesecloth or press on its surface (be patient, it will firm up after refrigeration time). Once cooled completely, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (in the sieve) overnight or up to 24 hours.

LADYFINGERS/ SAVOIARDI BISCUITS(Source: Recipe from Cordon Bleu At Home)
This recipe makes approximately 24 big ladyfingers or 45 small (2 1/2" to 3" long) ladyfingers.
Ingredients:
3 eggs, separated
6 tablespoons /75gms granulated sugar3/4 cup/
95gms cake flour, sifted (or 3/4 cup all purpose flour + 2 tbsp corn starch)6 tablespoons /
50gms confectioner's sugar,
Preheat your oven to 350 F (175 C) degrees, then lightly brush 2 baking sheets with oil or softened butter and line with parchment paper.Beat the egg whites using a hand held electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gradually add granulate sugar and continue beating until the egg whites become stiff again, glossy and smooth.In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks lightly with a fork and fold them into the meringue, using a wooden spoon. Sift the flour over this mixture and fold gently until just mixed. It is important to fold very gently and not overdo the folding. Otherwise the batter would deflate and lose volume resulting in ladyfingers which are flat and not spongy.Fit a pastry bag with a plain tip (or just snip the end off; you could also use a Ziploc bag) and fill with the batter. Pipe the batter into 5" long and 3/4" wide strips leaving about 1" space in between the strips.Sprinkle half the confectioner's sugar over the ladyfingers and wait for 5 minutes. The sugar will pearl or look wet and glisten. Now sprinkle the remaining sugar. This helps to give the ladyfingers their characteristic crispness.Hold the parchment paper in place with your thumb and lift one side of the baking sheet and gently tap it on the work surface to remove excess sprinkled sugar.Bake the ladyfingers for 10 minutes, then rotate the sheets and bake for another 5 minutes or so until the puff up, turn lightly golden brown and are still soft.Allow them to cool slightly on the sheets for about 5 minutes and then remove the ladyfingers from the baking sheet with a metal spatula while still hot, and cool on a rack.Store them in an airtight container till required. They should keep for 2 to 3 weeks.

To assemble the tiramisu:
Have ready a rectangular serving dish (about 8" by 8" should do) or one of your choice.Mix together the warm espresso, rum extract and sugar in a shallow dish, whisking to mix well. Set aside to cool.In a large bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese with a spoon to break down the lumps and make it smooth. This will make it easier to fold. Add the prepared and chilled zabaglione and pastry cream, blending until just combined. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Set this cream mixture aside.
Now to start assembling the tiramisu.Workings quickly, dip 12 of the ladyfingers in the sweetened espresso, about 1 second per side. They should be moist but not soggy.

Immediately transfer each ladyfinger to the platter, placing them side by side in a single row. You may break a lady finger into two, if necessary, to ensure the base of your dish is completely covered.Spoon one-third of the cream mixture on top of the ladyfingers, then use a rubber spatula or spreading knife to cover the top evenly, all the way to the edges.Repeat to create 2 more layers, using 12 ladyfingers and the cream mixture for each layer.

Clean any spilled cream mixture; cover carefully with plastic wrap and refrigerate the tiramisu overnight.To serve, carefully remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle the tiramisu with cocoa powder using a fine-mesh strainer or decorate as you please.
Cut into individual portions and serve.
To see how other bakers have done on the Tiramisu, do stop by here

65 comments:

Rachel said...

Wow I love both the versions. Welcome to the DBs.

sra said...

You've been busy! Or was it me? I just noticed three posts from you on my reader!
This is one coffee-based dessert that I like.

Anonymous said...

looks absolutely terrific!!

Deepa G Joshi said...

Tirasmisu looks fabulous...love this dessert a lot...

www.foodlyrics.com

Unknown said...

beautiful..that really looks so gorgeous..

Sayantani said...

thats sinfully delicious Heaven HC. lovely decoration and awesome presentation.

Tina said...

Iyoooo kothiyavunnu..Looks perfect and mouthwatering...

Angie's Recipes said...

wow Let me have just one bite into that heaven on a dessert plate tiramisu!

Peter M said...

I am going to enjoy all these Tiramisus coming through the web today. I hope you have enough for me.

Simones Kitchen said...

Congratulations on your first Db challenge and a good one too!! It looks lovely!

Sushma Mallya said...

Tiramisu looks heavely and so very beautiful..seems like a lengthy process but worth making it...

Deeba PAB said...

What a wonderful first challenge F. Gorgeous tiramisu and I'm so glad we hosted your first challenge. YAY you girl. Love it!!

Home Cooked Oriya Food said...

Tirasmisu - titled perfectly! Heaven on earth!
Yours looks more than heaven...

Yasmeen said...

Welcome to the club, HC. And what a great start,the tiramisu looks stunning :D

Laavanya said...

You chose the perfect month to start - love the tiramisu! Definitely a lot more involved than the quick fix version I use. Am sure it was a hit

FH said...

LOVE Tiramasu. One dessert I would pay to eat. Love the coffee flavor and light fluffy texture of that dessert. You have done a great job, looks fab. Bet Hans would love this better than pink ones! ;D

Aparna Balasubramanian said...

Absolutely beautiful, Finla. Can also see that you're putting that camera to good use. :)
Welcome to the DBs and am happier that your first chalenge was the one we chose. ;-)
Thanks for baking with us.

Unknown said...

Just perfect...lovely looking tiramisu..

Jaya M said...

Happy,
Incridible! and lots of great effort.I can see your pics are becoming like pro, amazing job on that front.Beautiful presentation and that Tiramisu makes me very hungry I must tell you LOL..
hugs and smiles

PJ said...

Oh wow, these look divine! I love the decoration/icing you did on the edges and the pics are great! So so tempting, you sure are a daring baker.. good decision to join the group.

SathyaSridhar said...

Looks Perfect!!!! i will try this recipe myself

s said...

terrific!!! welcome to DB!!

Dewi said...

Beautiful challenge. Love how you lay out the coffee beans on last photo.

Tia said...

welcome to DB's! Awesome first challenge!

Natalie, aka "Sheltie Girl" said...

Gorgeous job on your tiramisu! Both versions are beautifully presented. We're all delighted that you've joined us to bake and have fun!

Natalie @ Gluten A Go Go

Cynthia said...

I like the one presented in the glass.

Swathi said...

Your tiramisu looks perfect.

Priya Suresh said...

Wowwww wat a delectable and fantastic tiramisu, love both ur versions, really awesome, great work HC!

Parita said...

Tiramisu look fab HC!

Bharathy said...

Amazing first challenge!...
I cant even think of taking up such a daring attempt :)! ;)
Just coming from Divya's, Rachels and now here!..I am falling in love with all !!!

Simplyfood said...

Amazing tiramisu .You have put so much effort into it.Wonderful clicks too.

Bombay Foodie said...

Congratulations on your first challenge. Your tiramisu looks beautiful.

Unknown said...

Just visited your blog and found it exotic..i have just started blogging...i welcome you to visit my blog.thanks.

Anonymous said...

Excellent job on your first challenge! The tiramisu is gorgeous!

Cakelaw said...

Welcome to thelaooks magnificent - and the glass version is so elegant.

Barbara Bakes said...

So glad you joined! You did a great job on the challenge! It looks delicious!

Sig said...

I love Tiramisu, this looks delicious, but sounds like a lot of work though :)

Ivy said...

This looks so delicious! Yummy!

Uma said...

looks sooo good. Yum!!

Meeta K. Wolff said...

finla thiese are so gorgeous! so good to have you with us at the DBs!

jayasree said...

Excellent job...Gorgeous pics. Loved the one presented in glass.

Sarah Naveen said...

Wow!!! Fabulously yummy!!! Great job!!

Lien said...

wow a daunting task to make everything from scratch! (must try to make my own mascarpone one time) but it looks totally delicious!!

Raks said...

Looks so so yummy and beautiful presentation!

Bong Mom said...

I thought you were a DB always !!! You bake so much and so well how come you joined them so late ?
Gorgeous Tiramisu

Deepthi Shankar said...

that looks perfect

Cham said...

Your first challenge is perfectly faced! The glass presentation is gorgeous!

Ramya Vijaykumar said...

Fabulous looking Tiramisu... I would have completed it in no time!!! Tempting!!!

Pamela said...

Congratulations on your first challenge!! Your tiramisu looks delicious.

Dori said...

Tiramisu is my favorite! I'm going to love seeing all these Tiramisu's every where! Looks perfect :)

Valerie Gamine said...

Gorgeous presentation! Your ladyfingers are perfect. :)

Jayashree said...

This looks lovely.

sunita said...

Finla, you've done such a great job on your first challenge. Welcome to the club, great to have you along :-)

Malar Gandhi said...

Oh man, thats incredible, you did it from scatch...lot of work, buddy and hats off to ur effort, looks just out of this world':)

Usha said...

The tiramisu looks just beautiful and perfect !

Soma said...

My favorite dessert!! I am so glad the DB picked this one. A bad baker I may be but will try this sometimes:-) Looks fantastic Finla!

Kathleen said...

Wow you tiramisu looks fabulous! I especially love your version with the piped roses!

Mahimaa's kitchen said...

gosh!! I am coming over to try some of your desserts. looks tooooooo good. hats off!!

Pravs said...

you are great baker even without joining daring bakers. Tiramisu looks heavenly.

SathyaSridhar said...

Wooow,,lovely tiramisu with lovely pictures,,YOU ARE GOOD IN MAKING DESSERTS AND IN BAKING

SathyaSridhar said...

Wooow,,lovely tiramisu with lovely pictures,,YOU ARE GOOD IN MAKING DESSERTS AND IN BAKING

Recipeswap said...

ohhhhhhhhh my god,looks at those gorgeous gorgeous pics!wow....I still need to go look at the pics again.

Unknown said...

You know this is inspired me to make Tiramisu, I recently bought all the ingredients, except mascarpone thinking i cud get suitable substitute , but was disappointed, now when i saw ur homemade mascarpone outcome, iam excited !!

Samta said...

yum yum yum - tiramisu is my favourite dessert.
It looks so good - Gotta come over to have it ;)

Dee said...

I just stumbled upon this and WOW! You hooked me with Tiramisu, but I'm going to be a regular now.