Tiramisu
Photo: Sharon Chen from Austin, United States · CC BY 2.0

History

Tiramisu (literally pick-me-up) was invented in 1969 at Le Beccherie restaurant in Treviso, the small Veneto city 30km from Venice. The original recipe was created by chef Roberto Linguanotto and pastry chef Aldo Campeol's wife, building on the older Venetian custard zabaione. The dish was a regional Veneto staple through the 1970s, exploded into international fame in the 1980s and has become the most-cooked Italian dessert worldwide. The structural recipe (savoiardi sponge fingers, mascarpone, egg yolks, sugar, espresso, cocoa) is Treviso and officially recognised as a Treviso-Veneto traditional product.

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Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Egg

Make it at home

Yield 6Hands-on 35 minTotal 4 hrDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 6 very fresh large egg yolks, at room temperature
  • 4 very fresh large egg whites, at room temperature
  • 150g caster sugar
  • 500g good fresh mascarpone (Galbani Santa Lucia is the canonical Italian brand; or hand-made if you have access)
  • Pinch of fine sea salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (or seeds of 1 vanilla pod)
  • Optional: 2 tbsp dry Marsala wine or dark rum (modern addition; the original Treviso recipe did not include alcohol)
  • About 30 savoiardi sponge fingers (ladyfingers; the Italian Italian-imported brand Vicenzi or Forno Bonomi)
  • 400ml strong fresh espresso, cooled to room temperature
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar dissolved in the espresso (the Veneto version is moderately sweet, not bitter)
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting (the darkest you can find)
  • Optional: 20g grated dark chocolate (70 percent) for finishing

Method

  1. Brew the espresso, stir in 1 tbsp sugar to dissolve, cool to room temperature in a wide shallow dish.
  2. Separate the eggs carefully (no yolk in the whites). Keep both at room temperature.
  3. In a large bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water (a double boiler), whisk the egg yolks with 100g sugar until the mixture thickens, pales and reaches 70 degrees Celsius (about 4 minutes); this gently pasteurises the yolks for safety. Remove from heat.
  4. Continue whisking off the heat for 60 seconds until cooled slightly, then beat in the mascarpone, vanilla, optional Marsala and a pinch of salt with a wooden spoon (do not over-whip the mascarpone; it splits if treated roughly). The mixture should be thick, smooth and pale yellow.
  5. In a separate clean dry bowl, whisk the egg whites with 50g sugar to stiff glossy peaks.
  6. Fold the whipped whites gently into the mascarpone mixture in three additions; this is the structural step for the fluffy texture. The final cream should be light and mousse-like.
  7. Assemble: dip each savoiardo briefly (1 second per side; do not soak or they collapse) into the cooled espresso, then lay in a single layer in a 25 by 20cm glass dish or ceramic baker; fit them snugly.
  8. Spoon half the mascarpone cream over the soaked savoiardi in an even layer; smooth with the back of a spoon.
  9. Repeat: a second layer of dipped savoiardi, then the remaining mascarpone cream.
  10. Cover loosely with cling film and refrigerate at least 4 hours (overnight is better; the flavours meld and the texture sets).
  11. Just before serving, dust the entire top with cocoa powder pressed through a fine sieve to a thick even layer.
  12. Optional: shave dark chocolate over the cocoa.
  13. Serve cold, scooped or sliced; a glass of Venetian-style coffee or a dessert wine alongside.

Tip from the editors. The eggs must be very fresh; the gentle double-boiler pasteurisation step makes the dish safer to serve and is structural for stability. Italian savoiardi are essential; soft American ladyfingers turn to mush. Dip the savoiardi briefly only; a quick dip in and out is correct, soaking is wrong.

Where to eat tiramisu

Tiramisu in Venice

Cantina Do Mori ★ 4.6

€ Italian

Cantina Do Mori in Venice's San Polo near Rialto is the 1462-founded bacaro, with francobolli sandwiches at €1.50 to €3, the cheapest historic-bar meal.

TryFrancobolli sandwiches and ombre

TipCash only. Walk-in. Closed Sundays. The francobolli (postage-stamp-sized sandwiches) are the move; pair with ombre at €1.50.

Directions

Bacaro Jazz ★ 3.7

€€ Wine barUntil Daily 02:00

Bacaro Jazz near the Rialto Bridge in San Marco is the late-running jazz bar open to 02:00 with cicchetti, the canonical post-midnight wine room in San Marco.

TryCicchetti and tapas

TipWalk-in. Tonight's jazz set is on the chalkboard at the door. Touristy but reliably late.

Directions

Harry's Bar ★ 4.1

€€ EUR 50-120BrunchCipriani family brunch

Harry's Bar on Calle Vallaresso serves the canonical Cipriani-style brunch with Bellini, carpaccio and risotto, the historic-bar lunch since 1931 near San.

OrderBellini, beef carpaccio, risotto alla primavera

TipThe downstairs bar takes walk-ins and works for a Bellini at €22. The upstairs dining room needs a booking through OpenTable.

Directions

Pasticceria Tonolo ★ 4.7

€ BakeryVenetian patisserie, focaccia venezianaWalk-in only

Pasticceria Tonolo on Calle San Pantalon in Venice's Dorsoduro has run since 1886, the city's benchmark patisserie for focaccia veneziana and Carnevale.

Worth the queueFocaccia veneziana with 30-hour leavening

TipOpen 07:30; the morning queue clears by 09:00. The focaccia veneziana is best the same day it's baked. Cash preferred.

Directions

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