Tiramisu

Origin
Place oforigin	Italy
Details
Course	Dessert
Mainingredient(s)	Savoiardi, egg yolks, mascarpone, cocoa

Tiramisu ([tiɾamiˈsu], Italian spelling: Tiramisù; lit. “pick me up” or “lift meup”) is an Italian dessert. It is made of ladyfingers (Italian: Savoiardi)dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of egg yolks andmascarpone cheese, and flavored with cocoa.^[1] The recipe has beenadapted into many varieties of puddings, cakes and other desserts.

History

There is some debate regarding the origin of Tiramisu. Accounts byCarminantonio Iannaccone and Nathan Lopez (as researched and writtenabout by The Washington Post) establish the creation of Tiramisu by himon 24 December 1969 in Via Sottotreviso while he was head chef atTreviso, near Venice.^[2][3]

Alternatively, it may have originated as a variation of another layereddessert, Zuppa Inglese.^[4] It is mentioned in Giovanni Capnist’s 1983cookbook I Dolci Del Veneto,^[5] while Merriam-Webster’s OnlineDictionary gives 1982 as the first mention of the dessert.^[6] Other sourcesreport the creation of the cake to have originated in the city of Siena.^[7]Some confectioners were said to have created it in honour of Cosimo IIIon the occasion of his visit to the country.

The translation of the name Italian tiramisù (tirami sù) means “pick-me-up”(metaphorically, “make me happy”). This may refer to the caffeine in theespresso and effect of cocoa used in the recipe.

Preparation

Tiramisu is a layered dessert, consisting of alternating layers of coffee-soakedSavoiardi biscuits and sweet mixture of mascarpone cheese, eggs and sugar.

To prepare the biscuit layer, the Savoiardi are soaked in espresso or strongcoffee.

For the mascarpone cheese layer, a mixture of egg yolks and sugar is firstprepared, to which the mascarpone cheese is then added. This mixture isspread over the coffee-soaked biscuits. More layers are added and the dessertis finally topped with a dusting of cocoa powder.^[1]

Countless variations for Tiramisu exist. Some cooks use other cakes or sweet,yeasted breads, such as panettone, in place of ladyfingers.^[8]