How to make Tiramisu from scratch: Part 1 Savoiardi biscuits

  Dear all,
 

Let’s start 2016 by sweetening our days. I combine this with executing a recipe that lingers on my mind: Tiramisu.

We all know that sugar is not healthy. But I think, a little bit of sugar brightens our days. As long as we eat healthy with plenty of fruits and vegetables, our bodies can deal with a little sugar once in a while - especially when it is combined with good feelings. Tiramisu is a happy maker. My men love this typical Italian dessert. 20 years ago, I had tried to make Tiramisu here in India. There was no chance to buy real Mascarpone then, so I used homemade paneer instead. It was not bad, but did not hit the spot.

Last summer during holidays in Germany, my son Valentino begged me to make Tiramisu. In Germany there is plenty of Mascarpone and it is quite affordable. My Tiramisu was delicious, if I may say so myself. I had to promise my son I would do it in Goa also.

That’s why I start 2016 with making good on this promise. Nowadays, several Indian dairy companies offer Mascarpone, the fresh, rich cheese with the strangely unique taste, indispensable for Tiramisu. Unfortunately, you still cannot find the Savoiardi biscuits – also called Lady Fingers – in supermarkets here.

So I decided to bake them myself. Because the recipe for Savoiardi and the making of Tiramisu would inflate one newsletter, I divide this month’s newsletter in two parts. First I describe how to prepare the Savoiardi and then I show how to assemble the Tiramisu.

Fun fact for all people interested in food history: Although Tiramisu is known today as one of the typical Italian desserts, it is quite young. It was invented around 1960 in Treviso, Italy. The owner of the Restaurant La Beccherie and a nearby baker both claim they invented this dish.

Whatever the historic facts, Tiramisu remains delicious.

Wishing you happy cooking, always!

Kornelia Santoro with family
 

Savoiardi Biscuits

Ingredients:
(for around 30 pieces):
 

• 6 eggs
• 150 grams icing sugar
• 150 grams wholewheat flour
• 2 tablespoons castor sugar

Method:
Savoiardi are made from biscuit dough, which is prepared only with eggs, flour and sugar. Start by separating the eggs. There are several methods how to do this. I break the eggs by hitting them against the edge of my kitchen sink. Then I crack them open; I let the egg white drip into a bowl, while catching the egg yolk in one halve of the egg shell. Be careful: You need egg whites without any egg yolk in it. Fat of any kind has the result that egg whites will not form stiff peaks, an absolute must for biscuit dough.

 Preheat your oven to 190 degrees. These biscuits need to go into a warm oven – otherwise they collapse.  Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks with a hand mixer. After a little while, when the eggs have just started to foam up, I add two tablespoons of the icing sugar. That stabilizes the egg whites.

Add the rest of the sugar to the egg yolks and beat them, until they have gained volume and turned into a cream.

Place the beaten egg whites on top of the egg yolks and sieve the flour over them.

Carefully mix everything together. Scrape from the edges and keep turning until you have fairly uniform, fluffy dough.

Place a silicone mat or baking paper onto a cookie tray. Don’t butter the cookie tray to avoid sticking. This will keep the biscuits from rising properly. Scatter the castor sugar evenly over the cookie tray.
Pipe the biscuits as evenly as possible. My first batch did not come out so well. But I learned quickly.

I tried both my gas and my electric oven to bake the biscuits. My electric oven seemed to work a bit better, but it cooked the biscuits mostly from the top – while my gas oven cooked them from the bottom. Either way, I had to turn them after around 15 minutes. Give them at least five minutes more on the other side.

In the end, I got a bit bored with the piping so I decided to just place heaps of the dough onto the cookie tray. This worked actually quite well and I think I will use this simple approach next time.
 
This picture shows the different versions of my Savoiardi (from left): Savoiradi formed with spoon, baked in electric convection oven, Savoiardi piped and baked in electric oven, Savoiardi piped first try and baked in gas oven, Savoiardi piped 2nd try and baked in gas oven.

Let the biscuits cool down and cover them with cling film or place them into an airtight container.

Soon you will receive the second part of the newsletter, showing how to assemble the Tiramisu.