TIRAMISU - NO ALCOHOL

Eid mubarak to all my friends who are celebrating! What better way to finish our festival feast other than this rich tiramisu!

This is one of our favourite desserts. Rich and creamy and filled with coffee. 

This recipe uses no whipped cream. The richness and thickness comes from beating the eggs alone. I have tried an eggless version too......which uses whipped cream to give you the creamy texture. It's as good. but since we have tried this recipe with eggs we love this one better.:)

Alot of recipes use whipped cream. but its not authentic and the taste for this recipe is wayyyyyyy better!

My pan was 24 cms by 13 cms

INGREDIENTS:

savoiardi biscuits - 20 to 24 (depending on the size of the pan used)
eggs, separated - 3

sugar - 3/4 cup

marscapone cream cheese- 500g

vanilla essence - 1 tsp

strong coffee or expresso - 1 and 1/4 cups (I used 4 tbsps instant coffee powder dissolved in 1 and                                                  1 and 1/4 cups hot water)

cocoa powder for dusting

PROCESS:

• Cool the coffee.
• Put the egg yolks and the whites in separate bowls.
• The bowl with the egg yolks must be a heat proof bowl. Now to the bowl with the egg yolks add in the sugar. 
• Then place a saucepan of water over the stove on low heat. Place the bowl with the egg yolks and sugar on top of the saucepan. The water in the saucepan must not touch the bowl.

• Using a hand whisk or electric beater, whisk the egg yolks and sugar well until pale yellow.
• The yolks will cook in the steam and become slightly thick and pale yellow. (I used an electric beater for 5 minutes) Remove from the flame. Set aside to cool.

• In a big bowl, place the marcapone and vanilla essence and gently smoothen it with a spatula. DO NOT beat it. Keep aside.

•  Now with an electric beater whisk the egg whites for a few minutes till stiff peaks form. 

• Now, add the marscapone to the egg yolk mixture and gently fold it in.
• Then, gently fold in the egg whites. Only mix till everything is well incorporated. REMEMBER TO BE GENTLY AT ALL TIMES.
• Now to assemble. Smear some marscapone cream mixture on the base of the pan.
• Dunk the savoiardi in the coffee one by one and place it neatly in a row on the base of the pan. (Do not soak. Dip and remove quickly. We do not want it soggy)

• After one layer of the biscuits, spread half the marscapone cream mixture on top in an even layer.
• Do one more layer of the biscuits and another layer of cream on top.
• Refrigerate it for atleast 6 to 8 hours to set.
• Dust with sifted cocoa powder on top before serving.
• Serve cold.

NOTES:

• Do not substitute marscapone with any other cream cheese. The taste will not be the same.
• The only point to remember while making this tiramisu, is to be gentle while handling marscapone because we want to maintain that creamy thick texture. If we over handle or mix it too much it will become watery or thin.
• Also be gentle while folding in the beaten egg whites. Too much mixing will deflate them.
• Do not soak the savoiardi biscuits in coffee for more than a second . It will become too soggy and as a result the dessert might become slightly watery. Tiramisu is a thick creamy dessert.