Tiramisú

One of the most popular Italian desserts,  tiramisú means "pick me up",  due to the many energising ingredients that make this pudding.  Eggs, sugar, coffee and liqueur will reinvigorate you with a boost of calories and stimulants that would keep you going for a while. Next time you need to power through a studying session or need to prep all night for a work presentation, swap your Redbull with a bowl of tiramisú - there are less chemicals and the taste is a thousand times better ;-)

INGREDIENTS (for 6 people)

• 250 gr of mascarpone cheese
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 3 tbs of Amaretto di Saronno (the traditional recipe uses Marsala, another Italian liquer, but I much more prefer Amaretto!)
• 400 ml of double cream
• 2 egg yolks, the freshest you can find (organic or free range)
• 300 ml of espresso coffee (warm, not scalding hot)
• 4 tbs of caster sugar
• A 175 gr pack of savoiardi biscuits (or the sponge finger biscuits you would use for making trifle)
• 100 gr of dark chocolate

 Whisk the double cream with the sugar in one bowl until it forms soft peaks; in a separate bowl, whisk the mascarpone with the egg yolks, the vanilla extract and the Amaretto. Gently fold in the whipped cream in the mascarpone and egg mixture.

Dip the biscuits in the coffee (they need to be soft but still retain their shape, don't over-soak them) and line the bottom of your serving dish of choice (I normally use a glass, high sided one). Cover them with the mascarpone and cream mixture, then grate some dark chocolate on top.

Repeat with a second layer of biscuits, mascarpone and cream mixture and grated chocolate.

Cover with clingfilm, then leave your dessert to chill in the fridge for a few hours before serving. Because it contains fresh eggs and cream, it does not keep for too long; you can make it the night before and have it for lunch/dinner the following day, however make sure it gets polished completely by your guests. Normally, this is not a problem!