Rosie Makes Tiramisu.

Today, I'm making my version of tiramisu, meaning "pick me up," referring to the shot of espresso which was originally tossed into the concoction.  Tiramisu, if you're wondering, is an Italian dessert.  It's layered with sponge cake or ladyfingers soaked in some type of liqueur (typically rum or coffee), with chocolate or cocoa powder, and mascarpone cheese.

Now, tiramisu comes with a history , which may or may not be true, but it makes a good story.  Most versions of tiramisu's origin say it was created in the 1960s at "Le Beccherie" restaurant in Treviso, Italy.  The chef, Carminantonio Iannaccone, created the dessert based on the everyday flavors of the region - strong espresso coffee, mascarpone-zabaglione cream, bitter cocoa powder, Marsala, and ladyfingers.  However, a more fun account credits the tiramisu as being a product of Italian brothels. As the story goes, in the late 1800s, competition between bordellos was fierce and one particular brothel started offering its customers espresso coffee as a complimentary beverage.  Other brothels followed suit, then to attract more customers as competition increased, the bordellos offered savoiardi cookies (similar to ladyfingers) which were dunked in the espresso or sometimes a liqueur.  The name "tiramisu" means "pick me up" in Italian, since the combination of cookies and espresso was considered an energy booster for patrons so they could go about their daily activities after their bordello activities, instead of taking a nap.

Now, back to tiramisu...

  My version of tiramisu uses what I have on hand.   I have egg whites, so I'm making angel food cake.  I have heavy cream, so I'm making whipped cream.  I have nuts, so I'm making candied pecans and almonds.  And I have a chocolate and caramel concoction I made for a cheesecake topping not too long ago so that's going in it too.  It's going to be good.

Like I said, I have egg whites, so I'm making an angel food cake.

Sort of.

I had a cup of egg whites in the fridge, leftover from when I'd used the yolks for a custard for vanilla ice cream and for a Hollandaise sauce for my Eggs Hawthorne.  The recipes I found for angel food cake generally called for 12 large egg whites.  I didn't want to use that many egg whites, just use the cup I had, which was 6 egg whites, or thereabouts.  So I made a scaled-down angel food cake which turned out to be just right for the tiramisu.

Also, for my tiramisu, I'm not using a big trifle bowl and the whole angel food cake, torn up, at one time.  I'm simply tearing up enough cake for individual servings and layering with whipped cream and my chocolate caramel sauce, then topping with candied nuts.

Rosie's Scaled Down Angel Food Cake

1/2 cup cake flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup egg whites  (6 or so large whites), room temperature

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

3/4 tsp cream of tartar

Heat oven to 325°.

I used a 10-inch tube pan which I didn't grease or flour since you want the batter to have something to cling to as it rises.  

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and 6 TB of the sugar.

Using a stand mixer (preferred) beat egg whites for a minute or two.  Add in the salt and extracts and continue beating another minute.  Sprinkle in the cream of tartar and keep beating until the mixture forms stiff, glossy peaks.

Rosie Note:  Separate your eggs when they're cold.  The yolks are firmer and less likely to break at lower temperatures.  Beat your whites at room temperature, when they're more relaxed.  Air is more readily incorporated into room temperature egg whites than cold egg whites and they will beat up to a greater volume.

Beat in the remaining sugar, a few tablespoons at a time.  Gradually fold in the dry ingredients.

Spoon the batter into the pan and bake about 25 minutes, or until golden brown and top springs back when lightly touched.

Remove cake from oven and set it upside down.  Let cool.

Loosen edges of cake and remove from pan.

Here's my half recipe of angel food cake.

Next, I'm making candied nuts.  You can use any nuts you like.  I happen to like pecans and almonds.

Candied Nuts

1/4 cup sugar

1 TB water

1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup pecans

Combine sugar and and water in small saucepan.  Heat over low, shaking pan, until sugar dissolves.  Bring just to a boil.  Stir in nuts to coat and remove from heat.

Spread nuts evenly in a single layer on a baking sheet. I sprinkled a little pink sea salt over them, but you could use kosher salt.  Bake at 300° for 20-25 minutes, shaking halfway through.  Let cool.

Nuts going into simmering hot sugar water.

Stir to coat, then spread out on baking sheet and ... bake.

Next I whupped up a batch of whipped cream.

I don't need to tell you how to whip cream, but I will.

Here's a Rosie Tip:  For maximum volume and best texture, chill the bowl and beaters first.  I set them in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.

The cream will whip better when the bowl and beaters are chilled.  When cream is whipped, air bubbles are created.  If the cream is cold, the air bubbles are suspended by a network of tiny fat globules, which allows the cream to expand into a light, airy mass.  If the temperature is warm, the fat globules soften and collapse so the cream can't whip up as fully and it takes longer to reach the maximum, diminished volume.  This extra whipping time also makes the cream slightly grainy because the fat forms misshapen clumps rather than microscopic smooth globules that surround the air bubbles.  In other words, the rheological properties of whipped cream are affected by temperature which influences fat globule aggregation and the characteristics of air bubbles.  Bottom line:  Chill cream, bowl, and beaters.

Pour in a cup of heavy cream into the chilled bowl and start beating with the chilled beaters.  When you get a good froth, gradually beat in 1/4 cup sugar.  Beat until you have a nice creamy texture and soft peaks, then beat in a teaspoon or more of vanilla extract.  Taste test.  

Rosie Note:  Do not overbeat.  Overbeating to stiff peaks will produce a slightly grainy texture and the cream can curdle and break up, quickly separating into butter and buttermilk.

 I happened to make a cheesecake a few days ago and had some of this glaze left over.  It's perfect for my tiramisu.

Rosie's Chocolate and Caramel Sauce

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup water

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup heavy cream 

2 TB unsalted butter

1 12-oz. package bittersweet chocolate morsels.

Combine sugar, water, and vanilla in medium saucepan and heat to dissolve sugar.  Cook over medium heat to a clear bubble and continue cooking until amber-colored.  You want to exercise an Amber-Alert here.  When it gets amber-colored, it's ready.  At this point, caramel can go downhill in a heartbeat.  Remove from heat and stir in the cream.  It will bubble and spit.  This is normal.  When it calms down, stir in the butter and the chocolate and let it melt.

To assemble the tiramisu:  I prefer individual servings here instead of a big trifle bowl full of cake and whipped cream.  Tear angel food cake into bite-sized pieces.  Fill a parfait glass or wine glass with angel food cake pieces and whipped cream, drizzling chocolate/caramel sauce throughout. Sprinkle on candied nuts.  Eat and refill.  Repeat.

This is delightful.

Enjoy!

Rosie Finds Another Treasure At The Recycle Center. A Cook Book.

 

Rosie is a recycler.
A time or two or three a week, you might find the Hawthornes at the recycle center.
Please stop by to say hello.

Whenever I go to the recycle center, I always check out the book bin.
Thankfully, they've separated the books people used to put in those huge death receptacles and now they set them in Rubbermaid containers off to the side where one can sort through them.
I have found beautiful books here.

Last time Mr. Hawthorne and I visited, I came back with this treasure -

Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts.

I cannot wait.

The first recipe I want to try is the one for Ladyfingers.  I hope her recipe can take me back to the Ladyfingers Mama Hawthorne would buy for me when I was a little girl.  You'd take a bite and inhale the powdered sugar.

Let's see...

Ladyfingers
1/8 tsp salt
3 eggs, separated, at room temperature
2 TB sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup confectioners sugar
3/4 cup sifted flour (As in sift before measuring.)
additional confectioners sugar for dusting.

Heat oven to 350°.
Beat salt and egg whites at high speed until they are firm and "hold a definite point, or are stiff but not dry."  Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

In the same bowl with the same beaters, beat the yolks, then add vanilla and confectioners sugar.  Beat at high speed for 5 minutes, until the mixture becomes very thick and very light in color.

Fold the yolk mixture into the whites.  Do not be too thorough.  Sift half of the flour over the egg mixture and gently fold it in.  Repeat with the rest of the flour, folding only until the flour is just absorbed.

Fit a large pastry bag with a round tube  5/8-inch in diameter.  Pipe batter 1 inch wide and 4 inches long onto foil-lined baking sheets, placing 1 inch apart.  Sprinkle additional confectioners sugar over top and bake for 10 minutes, turning pans halfway through baking.  Place ladyfingers on rack to cool.
 

Here are my egg whites.  When you're able to turn the bowl of whites over your head and not end up with egg on your head, then they're ready.

This is the yolk mixture.  In hindsight, this probably should have been thicker.  I beat the mixture on high for over 5 minutes, but probably should have gone longer.
 

Pour the yolk mixture into the whites.

Gently fold.

 

Sift the sifted flour in two additions.
Fold until flour is just absorbed.  Do not over-blend.

This is how you get messy batter into a pastry bag when you don't have an extra hand.
Place the pastry bag into a tall glass or cup and fold the opening over top.
Load in the batter.

When I piped my batter out,  it spread out and didn't hold its shape.
That's why I think I didn't beat the yolk mixture enough.
Oh well...  Live and learn.

This is not the first time I've made ladyfingers.
I attempted Julia Child's a few years back and the results were the same.

Oh wait.  I just happen to know a pastry chef I can ask about this issue.
Will address this and let you know.

I liked the reflections on my kitchen counter.

The vanilla aroma in my kitchen takes me back.
Way back.

The flavor is there.
But not the texture I was hoping for.

I'll have to rectify this texture issue, but for now, since these were not the ladyfingers of my childhood, I'm taking my ladyfingers in a totally different direction.  I'm going with tiramisu.
Or, at least, my version of tiramisu. 

Tiramisu, Italian for "pick me up," is a dessert consisting of a sponge cake, genoise, or ladyfingers, dipped in some type of liqueur, and layered with custard or whipped cream, and chocolate.

Liqueur Dip For Ladyfingers
1/2 cup strong coffee
2 TB sugar
2 TB Kahlua
Mix to dissolve sugar.

Whipped Cream
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 TB sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Whip the cream.  When it starts to thicken, sprinkle in the sugar and add the vanilla.  You want nice soft peaks.

Chocolate For Drizzling
As much Ghirardelli Intense Dark Midnight Reverie as you want.
 

I had about 1/2 cup of coffee left over from this morning.

I added 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of Kahlua.

Stir to dissolve sugar.

And I melted some Ghirardelli Intense Dark Midnight Reverie.

 I tore the ladyfingers into pieces and dipped into the coffee mixture.

 

 Line a trifle bowl, or in my case, a glass mixing bowl, with slices of liqueur-soaked ladyfingers.

 Plop in some whipped cream.

I used 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, with 2 TB sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla.
 

Drizzle melted chocolate.

 

 Keep filling and stuffing and drizzling.

And there ya go!

Tiramisu is grand.

Tiramisu is a surprisingly light dessert.
We loved all the flavor components - the coffee, the coffee liqueur and rum based Kahlua, the whipped cream, the chocolate.
Another example of culinary synergy, where the creation of the whole is greater than the sum of the individual parts.

Whenever I hit synergism, I'm happy. 
It means I've met or passed my bar.
Tiramisu does that for me.  Every time.
Here was last time.

Make this and you'll be very glad you did. 
You will thank Rosie.
And you are very welcome!



 

Rosie Makes Mr. Hawthorne A Birthday Cake.

       August 31 is Mr. Hawthorne's birthday.

I'm tossing around ideas as to what type cake to make.

I decided on an Angel Food Cake, doctored up,
with maybe a hint of a tiramisu angle --
a bunch of whipped cream, a coffee caramel sauce,
some chocolate pudding thrown in,
and a drizzling of bittersweet chocolate.

Yeah...
That sounds like a good direction in which to go.

Angel Food Cake

1 1/4 cups egg whites (about 9 large eggs)

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup cake flour

1 1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp almond extract

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 cup sugar 

 Place egg whites in large bowl.

Let come to room temperature for maximum volume.

Heat oven to 350°.

Sift 1/2 cup sugar and 1 cup cake flour twice.

Set aside.

Beat egg whites at medium speed.

When frothy, add in cream of tartar, extracts, and salt.

Beat until soft peaks form,

then add in the rest of the sugar, a tablespoon or so at a time, 

beating at high speed until stiff peaks form.

Gently fold in flour mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time.

Spoon into ungreased 10-inch tube pan.

Cut through batter to remove air pockets,

then smooth top.

Bake about 30-35 minutes until lightly browned.

Immediately invert pan on wire rack.

Cool completely.

 

Here's the texture you want.

You want the beaters to leave tracks...

Smooth the top.

Bake.

And...

... There you go!

I have your basic Angel Food Cake.

 

Then I had a great idea.

Infuse the Angel Food cake with coffee syrup!

I had a half cup of leftover coffee from breakfast.

I stirred in 1/4 cup sugar and brought it to a boil,

stirring to dissolve.

 I skewered my cake.

Multiple times.

 Then I poured the coffee syrup all over top.
Ahhhh...

STOP!
THINK!
WHAT WOULD SANDRA LEE DO
WITH AN ANGEL FOOD CAKE???

Now, let's take it away from what Sandra Lee would do -

which would be stuffing the hole within an inch of its life

with a canned mixture of hurt-your-teeth-sweet icing

that she's "dolled up" with pumpkin pie spice and Cool Whip.

I'm taking Mr. H's B-Day cake somewhere else.

I'm thinking along a tiramisu line. 

With coffee flavor.

And a coffee caramel component.

And bitterweet chocolate drizzled around. 

And chocolate pudding pockets.

And whupped cream throughout.

Yup.

That'll work.

Let's start on the Coffee Caramel Sauce.

While the Angel Food cake cooked,

I put together a Coffee Caramel Sauce:

Coffee Caramel Sauce

1 tsp ground coffee

2/3 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 TB unsalted butter

Mix all together.

Bring to boil.

Reduce to simmer.

Cook until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

Set aside until ready to assemble.

 

That's the ticket!

On to Chocolate Pudding!

The great thing about making chocolate pudding,

is that I'm using 4 yolks leftover 

from making the egg white Angel Food cake.

Look in the background.

Already, I'm thinking TRIFLE!

TIRAMISU!!

SOMETHING!!!

Chocolate Pudding

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup dark cocoa powder

1 1/4 cups skim milk

1 1/4 cups whipping cream

4 large egg yolks

2 TB unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 tsp vanilla

In a medium saucepan,

whisk together sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cocoa.

Slowly, a tablespoon at a time,

whisk in the milk/cream, then the yolks, one at a time.

Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly,

until mixture thickens. 

 Reduce heat to low.

Whisk one more minute.

Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.

Place plastic wrap on top of pudding and refrigerate.

Now, I'm ready to assemble

Forefront, I have my sliced and diced Angel Food Cake.

From left to right, above,

I have melted bittersweet chocolate,

coffee caramel sauce,

chocolate pudding,

and whipped cream.

For the whipped cream,

I used a pint of cream,

about 1/4 cup sugar,

and 1 tsp vanilla.

When I beat cream,

I always put my bowl and beaters in the freezer first.

Cold makes for better whipped cream.

A vein of coffee syrup in a torn piece of Angel Food cake.
From the spears I stuck in.

I'm assembling.

I have my Not-A-Trifling-Matter-Bowl

and I've layered the browned cubes of Angel Food Cake 

around the outside.

Then I plopped whipped cream in the middle.

I drizzled it with melted bittersweet chocolate.

I kept layering.

With Angel Food cake cubes,

Coffee Caramel Sauce,

Whipped Cream,

Chocolate Pudding,

And Melted Bittersweet Chocolate.

This, despite its looks, is amazingly light.

You really should come here

RIGHT NOW

and eat some of this.

DEE-VINE!

You ain't gonna believe how good this is!