tiramisu

Sometimes Panu goes to work and comes home with little gifts. Mostly they’re techy gifts, like this awesome teeny tiny unbreakable water resistant usb stick (I love techy gifts by the way, because I’m too much of a numpty to buy them for myself) or a new wireless mouse or an awesome KEF surround sound system. Ok, so that last one wasn’t for me, but hey, I can now hear Ari Gold sexily screaming profanities from all angles, so I’m happy.

But the best present he’s ever brought home was when he came home with two lovely Italian-Canadian human beings ~ David and Isabella. David is great, he makes me laugh and tops my wine glass like he really doesn’t believe I’m about to hurl, and Isabella? Well, Isabella, she made that tiramisu you see right there.

I love her. I’m keeping her.

The utter deliciousness of tiramisu heaven

Isabella made this amazing tiramisu last Saturday for round two of our Travelling Dinner Party. A what you ask? Let me  explain…

They live in Covent Garden, we live in Fitzrovia ~ we’re practically neighbours in this condensed city that is London. We do dinner at one place, and walk (albeit via the Hospital Club and one or two or five passionfruit martinis) to the next place for dessert. I guess it’s more a house-jumping-dinner-party than a travelling one, but anyway, this is the plan conceived by Isabella and I a few months ago, and it’s slowly coming to fruition, and definitely ripening in its maturity. 

More on that in a mo.

These berries, they’re on steroids

So Isa’s really trumped both dinners that we’ve had. At the first, she made an antipasti of bruschetta, a primi of delicious pasta and for the love of god, a secondi of steak and roasted vegetables. I was so high on food (and wine and grappa) that by the time we stumbled back to our place, my choc mint cheesecake paled in comparison. But we still ate it. With shots of vodka.

At the second Travelling Dinner Party, I went light on the meals ~ a beef salad for starter and my trusty honey soy salmon for main. I thought I’d left plenty of room for dessert until Isa served up the tiramisu the only way she knew how – enormously – 4×4 inch blocks of utter deliciousness, paired with 2 inch long berries (I shit you not, these things were on steroids). The tiramisu was just todiefor ~ moist, flavoursome, light, heaven. I wouldn’t have expected any less from this smokin’ Italian bella.

I almost licked my plate clean but I refrained. I like these people, I don’t want to frighten them off yet.

Sittin’ back with a glass of vino

So now Isa’s cooked, I’ve made dessert, and I’ve cooked, and she’s made dessert. David is up next and teasing me with stories of his home made gnocchi (urgh, I’m salivating just thinking about them) and Panu, well, I think he might be getting some microwavable brownies 🙂 But who cares really, Isa and I, we’re done.

Told you the plan was maturing nicely.

Tiramisu ~ courtesy of Isabella
3 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar
1 (8 oz) container mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup chilled heavy cream
2 cups espresso – brewed and cooled to room temperature
6 tablespoon Kahlua liqueur
18 savoiardi (crisp Italian ladyfingers, 6 oz)
Dark and white chocolate, shaved for topping
Cocoa powder for sprinkling
  1. Beat together yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until thick and pale, about 2 minutes. Beat in mascarpone until just combined.
  2. Beat whites with a pinch of salt in another bowl with cleaned beaters until they just hold soft peaks. Add remaining 1/4 cup sugar a little at a time, beating, then continue to beat whites until they just hold stiff peaks.
  3. Beat cream in another bowl with cleaned beaters until it just holds soft peaks. Fold cream into mascarpone mixture, then fold in whites.
  4. Stir together coffee and Kahlua in a shallow bowl. Dip 1 ladyfinger in coffee mixture, soaking it about 2 seconds on each side, and transfer to an 8-inch glass baking dish (2-quart capacity). Repeat with 8 more ladyfingers and arrange in bottom of dish, trimming as needed to fit snugly. Spread half of mascarpone mixture evenly over ladyfingers. Make another layer in same manner with remaining ladyfingers and mascarpone mixture.
  5. Chill tiramisu, covered, at least 6 hours.
  6. Just before serving, sprinkle with chocolate shaving and cocoa powder.
Serves 6-8 (or 4 gluttons in our case)

8 Thoughts on “the travelling dinner party: a one way ticket to tiramisu heaven

  1. Old Cow on August 26, 2009 at 2:30 pm said:

    yummy must try this! You know what? I want to make a matcha version of this.

  2. Old cow: OOOoooo a matcha version! Yum! I love anything matcha…

    Mathilde: me too 🙂

  3. WOW!! Look so delish and pretty! I wish I had some of that now.

  4. what a CUTE idea! it’s so lovely to share a homemade meal with such good friends who are so capable in the kitchen. i’m incredibly jealous.

  5. penny: it was so good. I wish I had some more now, I’d share with you!

    Lan: LOL it probably wasn’t the best idea to be honest because we rush back and forth, but it’s fun and now it’s the boys turn to cook! 🙂

  6. chooken on September 6, 2009 at 2:40 pm said:

    I’m sorry, numpty? WTF?

  7. chooken: numpty, me, someone who knows nothing about nothing.

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