Tiramisù al Vin Santo (Florence)
Tiramisù, an Italian dessert, famous by now in every corner of the world. It would be impossible not to have any variations developed over time and in fact, here in Florence I’ve tried a tiramisù with cantucci biscuits used instead of traditional savoiardi. In my recipe below I like to soak them also in Vin Santo (instead of the usual strong coffee), which in turn makes it more of a grown up dessert.
In this version I also enjoy a rather higher ratio of silky smooth airy mascarpone cream, but every tiramisù can be scaled up to personal preferences (more cream, more layers, more biscuits or coffee). I also like to play with different varieties of cantucci, the ones with chocolate and hazelnuts are my current favourite. Because the biscotti di Prato (cantucci) tend to smaller than savoiardi, I prefer to serve the tiramisù al Vin Santo in tea cups or small serving balls instead of one large dish.
Serves 4:
- 250 g of fresh mascarpone
- 2 eggs, separated
- 4-5 tablespoons of fine sugar
- 16-20 cantucci biscuits (4-5 per portion)
- Vin Santo for soaking the biscuits
In a bowl whisk the egg whites until they start to form soft peaks. Add half the quantity of the sugar and carry on whisking until fluffy and shiny.
In a separate bowl whisk very well the mascarpone with the remaining sugar and the egg yolks.
Gently fold the whites into the whipped mascarpone mixture with a large spoon.
Pour about 100 ml of Vin Santo into a small bowl and start soaking thoroughly the cantucci (two for each portion as a base). Place the soaked biscuits on the bottom of each cup or serving bowl and smother generously with the mascarpone cream.
Add another layer of soaked biscuits (you may need more Vin Santo depending on the size of the biscuits) and cover with the remaining mascarpone custard.
Leave in the fridge to set for a minimum of three hours.
You can decorate the tiramisù by dusting with cocoa powder or sprinkling some chopped almonds on top moments before serving.
