Sunday, September 16, 2012

Tiramisu

It's Sunday. I've taken care of all my chores [yeay!], the dog is snoring and there's nothing interesting on TV. I don't feel like going out either - these are the final hours before I start my first full working week after the holidays so all I want is to KEEP CALM AND COOK. In fact, I've realized for quite some time that if I prepare a dessert or a nice meal for Sunday night, my anxiety levels drop. 

So, I was talking to a friend who just recently went to Italy, so I thought: why not? No, I didn't think about getting onto a plane and forget about work. I decided to do a tiramisu, an Italian dessert. And not just because I have a sweet tooth. It's almost Sunday night, so I'm doing it for my health. Naturally. 

Separate the yolks from the egg whites of 3 eggs. Beat the yolks with 4 tablespoons of sugar. At the same time, use a mixer to beat the egg whites. Add 250g of mascarpone cheese to the yolk and sugar mix and finally incorporate the egg whites.

In a bowl, pour 1/4 L of strong cold coffee [I used 2 cups of Nespresso Ristretto plus the remaining water] and 5 tablespoons of rum [the Portuguese almond liqueur Amêndoa Amarga, like the Italian Amaretto, goes really well here, but I used Bacardi rum]. 

Now you're ready for either success or complete failure:

1. Be careful with the size of the recipient you're choosing: remember you have to add 1 layer of soaked ladyfingers, 1 layer of cream, another layer of soaked ladyfingers and a final coat of cream, so there must be room [and ingredients] for everything.

2. The choice is eventually yours, but if you're doing it just for yourself or for 2 people, consider using individual bowls rather than a bigger bowl. If you're half through and suddenly you have a surprise visit, you will thank me. Presentation always matters.



Simply soak each ladyfinger and place it at the bottom of the bowl. There's no problem if they break: the aim is just to fill the bottom with them. I usually squeeze them a bit before placing them, to reduce their size and get rid of the excess liquid. With the help of a spoon or a ladle add some creamRepeat the procedure with the ladyfingers and the cream.

Cover the bowl in wrapper and let it rest in the fridge for at least a couple of hours. When you're about to serve, sprinkle it with a good coat of sifted cocoa powder. Decorate with mint leaves.



Enjoy! 

***

É domingo. Já tratei das minhas tarefas domésticas [yeay!], o cão está a ressonar e não está a dar nada de interessante na TV. Também não me apetece sair - estas são as últimas horas antes de começar a minha primeira semana completa de trabalho depois das férias por isso tudo o que eu quero é KEEP CALM AND COOK. De facto, já me apercebi há algum tempo que se preparar uma sobremesa ou uma refeição mais simpática para o domingo à noite, os meus níveis de ansiedade baixam. 


Então, estava a conversar com uma amiga que foi recentemente à Itália, e pensei: por que não? Não, não pensei em entrar num avião e esquecer-me do trabalho. Decidi fazer um tiramisu, uma sobremesa italiana. E não apenas porque sou gulosa. É quase domingo à noite, por isso vou fazê-lo pela minha saúde. Naturalmente. 



Separa as gemas das claras de 3 ovosBate as gemas com 4 colheres de sopa de açúcar. Ao mesmo tempo, usa a batedeira para bater as claras em casteloJunta 250g de queijo mascarpone à mistura de gemas e açúcar e finalmente incorpora as claras.



Numa taça, deita 1/4 L de café forte frio [usei 2 chávenas de Nespresso Ristretto mais a restante água] e 5 colheres de sopa de rum [amêndoa amarga fica aqui mesmo bem mas usei rum Bacardi]. 



Agora estás pronto ou pronta para o sucesso ou para o falhanço completo:



1. Presta atenção ao tamanho do recipiente que escolhes: lembra-te que tens de pôr 1 camada de palitos la reine ensopados, 1 camada de creme, outra camada de palitos e uma camada final de creme, por isso tem de haver espaço [e ingredientes] para tudo.



2. No final a escolha é tua, mas se estás a fazer só para ti ou para 2 pessoas, considera usar taças individuais em vez de numa taça maior. Se já vai a meio e de repente tens uma visita surpresa, vais agradecer-me. A apresentação conta sempre. 



Simplesmente ensopa cada palito la reine e coloca-o no fundo da taça ou do recipiente. Não há problema se partirem: o objectivo é preencher o fundo com eles. Normalmente espremo-os um pouco antes de os colocar, para reduzir o tamanho e livrar-me do excesso de líquido. Com a ajuda de uma colher ou de uma concha acrescenta parte do cremeRepete o procedimento com os palitos e o creme.


Cobre a taça com película e deixa descansar no frigorífico por umas duas horas pelo menos. Quando estiver na altura de servir, cobre bem com cacau em pó peneirado. Decora com folhas de hortelã.


Bom apetite! 

16 comments:

  1. Congrats on getting all your chores done!

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    1. Thanks! Believe me, not having anything else to do today is even sweeter than the tiramisu.

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  2. Replies
    1. And it WAS! [oops... sweet tooth in the house!]

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  3. I just love it....keep calm and cook!! And I just love tiramisu! The process of dipping and lovingly layering is calming to me and each element is so wonderfully tasty. Fabulous recipe!

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    1. Hi! That's a really nice way to put it: the different processes do make it really calming, since they make you forget about your daily worries for a while.

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  4. Yum... I love tiramisu and can finish the whole thing just by myself. Yours look really delicious. By the way I love the part of you mentioning your dog is snoring, can envision the peaceful and blissful day

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    1. Ehheheh He's a frenchie, so when he snores... he snores. :D But that's a good thing: it means everything is quiet. Except when he snores louder: that just means he can't sleep because of some noise so he tries to snore louder to block it. :D

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  5. Good stuff. I really like tiramisu, and we never make it at home. In fact my wife and I were talking about how we need to do this just a few days ago when we were at a restaurant, and she was eating tiramisu! Good recipe - thanks.

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    1. The first time you try to do it you won't have it anywhere else. Erm... ok, you will. ;) But you'll do it at home more often. ehehe Thank you.

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  6. I've never actually made a Tiramisu - ok you've convinced me - it looks sensational - I'm making one :)
    Mary x

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  7. I have never made a Tiramisu before! Looks very good!
    It feels great when chores are done - I always treat myself to a cup of warm tea! Thanks for stopping by! Have a lovely weekend!

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    1. When I was younger I did things in a rush just so I could enjoy them "being done" sooner. Now it always depends on so many things: the more you live, the more complicated life sometimes gets. Oh, well. I'm a tea girl myself, but mostly during winter and early spring. [although today's a lovely day for tea] Thank you for your visit!

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