Tiramisu is the Italian dessert par excellence: just like pizza, it is a delicious dish in its simplicity and is known and appreciated all over the world.

But what is tiramisu? It is a spoon dessert whose traditional recipe is based on ladyfingers that are soaked in coffee and then covered with a cream of mascarpone, eggs and sugar, with a sprinkling of cocoa.

A simple but irresistible dessert!

History and origin of Tiramisu

The name Tiramisu derives from the Venetian “tireme su”, then Italianized in tiramisù.

The story tells instead that Tiramisu was born in Treviso and precisely in the restaurant “Le Beccherie”.

According to wine and food expert Giuseppe Maffioli, the birth of tiramisu is due to a pastry chef, Loly Linguanotto, who, as soon as he returned from work experience in Germany, was the first to propose it to his customers, achieving formidable success and making it popular in the city of Veneto and then throughout northern Italy.

The Veneto confectioner’s intuition was basically to mix some simple ingredients, already known and used daily, and create a dessert loved by all.

The origin of the tiramisu is also claimed by Friuli-Venezia Giulia, in a restaurant in the province of Gorizia, called “the Vetturino”, who would have served this dessert already in the 1930s on the royal yacht of the Savoys.

Curiosity about Tiramisu

Tiramisù is a legendary dessert, loved by all. Here are two curiosities about this dessert.

1) A legend in Treviso says that the birth of Tiramisu was due to a young lady in a house of vices who prepared this dessert in order to lift the spirits of the men who came to the restaurant in distress. This is precisely an unwritten legend that circulated among the inhabitants of Treviso.

2) From 2017 Treviso celebrates Tiramisù Day, a whole day dedicated to the famous dessert with cooking competitions, show cooking, workshops and gastronomic walks.

During this event all fans will be able to compete in a homemade tiramisu competition, using strictly the traditional recipe.

Traditional Tiramisu recipe

Here is the classic Tiramisu recipe.

Ingredients

(for a 6-person pan):

• 4 fresh eggs
• 100 gr of sugar
• 500 gr of mascarpone cheese
• 300 gr of Ladyfingers
• Unsweetened long espresso coffee
• Bitter cocoa

Preparation

The preparation of tiramisu is very simple.

Divide the yolks from the egg whites into two different containers. Beat the yolks with the sugar until a homogeneous mixture is obtained.

Then add the mascarpone cheese and continue beating with electric whisks until the mixture has blended well.

In the meantime prepare the coffee and let it cool.

Whip the egg whites and add them to the previously prepared mixture, mixing all the ingredients.

Spread a layer of cream in the baking dish, soak the ladyfingers in the coffee and place them on the baking dish as a base for the dessert. Spread a generous layer of cream on top and start again with the layer of ladyfingers. In the last layer (usually the third, but at will) add a very abundant layer of cream and sprinkle with bitter cocoa.

Let the Tiramisu rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.

Enjoy your meal!