A couple of weeks ago I had guests for dinner. I thought about having some good artisanal ice cream for dessert but it was the middle of summer and too hot to go out, so I opted for my favorite solution, opening our warehouse and making a dessert with our products!

We had eggs, biscuits, chocolate, coffee... It's done, let's prepare the most classic Italian dessert, tiramisu !

Tiramisu is one of the most loved and well-known Italian desserts in the world, so much so that it has its own international celebratory day !
A semifreddo with a creamy flavor and a perfect balance between sweetness and bitterness that will win you over from the first taste.

The variations of this dessert are now infinite, from the decomposed one to the pistachio one, with strawberries or with matcha tea! Ours will not be the classic recipe either, but our Tuscan version, as we have tried to use as many products as possible from our small local producers, and I must assure you that using organic and artisanal products the difference is felt, for the better!

So let's see how to prepare a tiramisu with Tuscan ingredients for 8 people.

Ingredients for tiramisu

• 500 g of mascarpone : unfortunately we don't have it available in our shop, so we used the classic one;
• 4 fresh organic free range eggs : Separate the yolks from the whites. The eggs must be very fresh, as they will not be cooked;
• 120 g sugar : Preferably granulated sugar, to sweeten the cream without making it too heavy;
• 300 g of Biscotti del Nonno : produced by the artisan biscuit factory Pasquinucci of Lari (Pi), they are our alternative to Savoiardi or Pavesini;
• 300 ml of espresso coffee : Prepared and left to cool. Strong coffee is essential to give the characteristic flavor to the dessert, we used Caffè Trinci, which you can find on our shop;
• Bitter cocoa powder : To dust the surface of the tiramisu;
• A 50g bar of Angiolini Dark Chocolate ;
• A pinch of salt : Helps stabilize whipped egg whites.

Tiramisu preparation

Coffee Preparation:

• start by preparing about 300 ml of espresso. Let the coffee cool to room temperature. This step is important to prevent the biscuits from softening too quickly.

Preparation of the Mascarpone Cream :

• In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy. We recommend using an electric mixer or a blender for this process.
• Add the mascarpone to the whipped egg yolks and mix gently until you obtain a smooth cream without lumps.
• In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff with a pinch of salt. The egg whites must be well whipped to give lightness to the cream.
• Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the mascarpone cream, mixing from the bottom up so as not to deflate them.
• If you like, break the chocolate bar into small pieces, perhaps using a mezzaluna, and add them to the cream, this will allow for a more chocolatey flavor and create variations in consistency in the dessert. However, leave some of the chocolate pieces for the final decoration.

Assembling the Tiramisu :

• Take a rectangular or square baking dish and start dipping the biscuits in the cooled coffee. Dip them quickly to avoid them getting too soaked.
• Arrange a layer of biscuits on the bottom of the baking dish, covering the entire surface.
• Pour half of the mascarpone cream over the biscuits and level with a spatula.
• Repeat with a second layer of biscuits and cover with the remaining cream.
• Generously sprinkle the surface of the tiramisu with bitter cocoa powder and chocolate chips.

Now cover the baking dish with cling film and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, better if all night. This resting time allows the flavors to blend perfectly and makes the tiramisu even more delicious.

Variants:

• Liquor variant : If you want to give it a little extra touch, you can add a little coffee liqueur, such as Marsala or rum. Mix a couple of spoons of coffee liqueur before dipping the biscuits.
• Biscuit Substitution : If you prefer a softer consistency, you can use sponge cake or ladyfingers instead of biscuits (but always remember that the original recipe calls for ladyfingers).
• Chocolate : We used a dark chocolate from Madagascar with Volterra salt made by the artisanal chocolate shop Angiolini in Pontedera (Pi). On our shop you can find various products from this chocolate shop, such as milk chocolate bars, white chocolate bars, almond bars and various types of dark chocolate, try the one that appeals to you the most!

Wine pairing

Clearly, to best enjoy our tiramisu, we have chosen to pair it with two sweet dessert wines that go perfectly together, such as Vin Santo and Passito di Pantelleria .

Both wines, with their sweetness and acidity, perfectly balance the creaminess and bitterness of the coffee.

Two excellent Tuscan solutions that you can find on our shop are the Vin Santo Amelio DOC from Cantina Cupelli in San Miniato (Pi) or the Passito San Germano IGT from Tenuta di Ghizzano in Peccioli (Pi), both Tuscan companies that work organically and in an artisanal way.

Conclusion

Tiramisu is a dessert that embodies all of Italian tradition. It is easy to prepare and always guarantees great success at the table. By following this recipe, you can make a perfect tiramisu that will conquer all your guests. Don't forget to let it rest for the right amount of time in the refrigerator to obtain the ideal consistency. Prepare it in advance and enjoy every spoonful of this irresistible dessert!