May 9, 2003

• OLD FASHIONED TIRAMISU

  
  

  I get so many requests for this, I decided to reconstruct my godmother's recipe, which is adapted from Carol Field's in her book The Italian Baker and the best Tiramisu I've ever had. Since auntie's is a tight secret, I might be a little off on some things, but it tastes pretty much the same.  Freeze in foil-covered loaf pans and eat by one-inch slivers if it's too fattening for you to enjoy often.  

  
  

  Cheese Filling

  
  

  yogurt cheese maker or micro-meshed sieve
  1 pint (about 15 oz) ricotta cheese
  1/4 cup granulated sugar
  1 cup (4 oz) lightly spooned confectioners' sugar
  1 pint (16 fl oz) ice cold heavy or old-fashioned whipping cream
  1 tsp vanilla extract
  1 tsp rum extract
  1 tsp butter flavoring
  

  
  

  Chocolate Sponge Cake

  
  

  5 large eggs, at room temperature
  1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  3/8 cup milk
  1 1/2 tsps vanilla extract
  1/2 tsp butter flavoring
  1 cup + 2 tbsps lightly spooned cake flour
  6 tbsps lightly spooned dark Dutch processed baking cocoa, such as Hershey's Euro-Style 
  1 1/2 tsps baking powder
  3/8 tsp salt

  
  

  Cake Syrup

  
  

  1/2 cup Frangelico hazelnut liqueur
  1/4 cup Kahlua coffee liqueur
  3/4 tsp rum extract

  
  

  Garnish
  
  milk chocolate shavings or curls, about 1/2 cup
  4 tsps sifted dark Dutch processed baking cocoa
  2 tsps sifted confectioners' sugar
  Optional:  1/2 pint ice cold heavy whipping cream
  Optional for cream:  1 tsp vanilla extract
  Optional for cream:  3 tbsps sifted confectioners' sugar
  Optional: candy coffee beans, about 24

  
  

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  Twelve hours or the night before, combine ricotta with granulated sugar; process or sieve until as smooth as possible.  Place in yogurt cheese maker or sieve placed well over bowl; cover and chill to drain off as much whey as possible. 

  
  

  The next morning or afternoon before serving, make the cake.  (It may also be baked the night before if well-sealed in plastic wrap after cooling.)  Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Generously grease a 9- by 13-inch oblong cake pan. (Recipe also makes two 8-inch round layers.)  For added insurance, coat bottom with nonstick cooking spray.  Dust with flour.  Separate eggs. Beat yolks with sugar in medium mixer bowl until smooth and light in color; stir in milk, vanilla, and butter extracts.  Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt over yolk mixture and stir until just incorporated. In large, separate mixer bowl, whip egg whites until stiff but not dry.  Fold about a third into flour mixture to lighten batter before folding in remaining whites.  Pour into prepared pan and bake until top springs back when pressed with finger, about 40 minutes.  Cool in pan 20 minutes, then loosen sides carefully and invert onto cooling rack.     

  
  

  To make the filling, discard whey and mix ricotta in large bowl with confectioners' sugar; set aside.  Combine 1 pint whipping cream with vanilla, rum, and butter extracts in large, chilled mixer bowl. Using whisk attachment, whip until very stiff; fold into ricotta a third at a time with large whisk until fully incorporated.     

  
  

  Prepare cake syrup by mixing Frangelico and Kahlua with rum extract.  Slice cake horizontally into 2 layers. Place bottom layer on large rectangular serving platter or in decorative lasagna pan.  Sprinkle evenly with half of the Frangelico mixture, then spread with half of the cheese filling.  Mix cocoa with 2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar; sift half evenly over filling.  Cover with top cake layer, sprinkle with remaining syrup, and spread with the rest of the cheese.  Garnish with milk chocolate shavings, then sift remaining sweetened cocoa over them.  To decorate, beat optional half a pint whipping cream with 1 teaspoon vanilla until very stiff, gradually incorporating 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar as soon as cream forms soft peaks.  Use to frost sides and/or pipe decorative border or rosettes with large star tip; garnish rosettes with optional coffee beans.  Cover and chill several hours before serving.  Serves 12.

  • 3:41 am
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