Tiramisu

Tiramisu (pronounced tir-uh-mee-soo)

An rich Italian semifreddo dessert made with espresso coffee-soaked layers of cake alternating with mascarpone cheese and chocolate; variations sometimes add liquor.

1972: From the Italian tiramisù, the construct being tira (pick or pull) + mi (me) + sù (up).  The Italian tirare (to pull, tug) is from the Medieval Latin, from the Vulgar Latin tirāre, of unknown origin but thought by most etymologists to be Germanic.  In the Italian it’s tiramisù and the alternative spelling is tirami sù.

Signor Campeol (1927-2021) with a slice of his tiramisu.

Aged ninety-three, Ado Campeol died on 31 October 2021.  Signor Campeol owned Le Beccherie, a restaurant in Treviso in the north of Italy and it was there the most celebrated modern form of tiramisu was created by his wife, Alba Di Pillo and their chef.  Constructed with espresso coffee-soaked biscuits, mascarpone and chocolate, it was added to the Le Beccherie menu in 1972 but, being never patented by the family, it became another of Italy’s many cultural gifts to the world. Around the world, there are variants of tiramisu which include different chocolates, spirits like rum or liquors but the original recipe (certified in 2010 by the Italian Academy of Cuisine) was alcohol-free because it was meant to be eaten by children too.  Quite when the concoction was first made isn't clear and there is evidence something similar may have appeared as early as the nineteenth century and there are accounts of similar dishes from the 1960s.

Lindsay Lohan with Tiramisu, Terry Richardson (b 1965) photoshoot, 2012.

There has long been a dispute about the origin of tiramisu, including the tempting suggestion it was offered as an aphrodisiac in one of Trevisio’s brothels but the definitive modern version seems to be the one created at Le Beccherie, opened by the Campeol family in 1939 and managed after the end of World War II by Ado Campeol.  According to the co-inventor, Chef Roberto Linguanotto, the creation of tiramisu was entirely serendipitous, the result of a slip of the hand while making vanilla ice cream, some mascarpone cheese which had been spilled into a bowl of eggs and sugar proving to yield a delightful taste.  The chef and Signora Campeol experimented with combinations, perfecting the dessert by adding ladyfinger sponges soaked in coffee, and sprinkling it with cocoa.  They called it tiramisù which translates into English as "pick me up", a tribute to the refreshing sensation a serving provides.

Tiramisu recipe

This will serve 4-6, take about 30 minutes to prepare and will be ready to serve after a further two hours of chilling.  This recipe includes only Marsala wine but works well with liquors like Kahlua or Benedictine.

Ingredients

300ml espresso coffee, brewed
2 tablespoons Marsala wine
4 eggs
100g sugar
500g mascarpone
300g ladyfinger (Savoiardi) biscuits
200g shaved dark chocolate
Unsweetened cocoa powder

Instructions

(1) Brew coffee using a macchinetta.  In saucepan or other heatproof container, combine coffee and Marsala wine, stirring slowly, then set aside to cool.

(2) In a bowl, separate egg whites from yolks and whip whites until stiff.  In another bowl, whisk the yolks with the sugar until pale and smooth. This should take 3-5 minutes.

(3) Add mascarpone to the yolks and whisk slowly with an electric mixer. Add the stiffened egg whites and mix through with a wooden spoon until smooth and creamy.

(4) Dip ladyfingers into the coffee and wine. Spread a layer of the biscuits in a serving dish, add a level of shaved chocolate (depth according to taste) and spread a layer of mascarpone mixture on top. Sprinkle with cocoa powder. Repeat layers once more.

(5) Sprinkle the top with cocoa powder. Chill for 2 hours before serving.