Summertime: raspberry and orange tiramisu

Raspberry and orange tiramisu

Another favourite of mine, and even more so of my grandmother, and a great and fresh variation on tiramisu. This recipe from the Italian chef Aldo Zilli comes from one of my trusted GoodFood magazines which I slightly adapted (less alcohol mainly, Brits have a tendency to drown stuff in alcohol). Not only does it look great, it really tasted absolutely delicious too! This recipe serves about 8 people. If you can’t find raspberries, you can use whatever other berries that are around. You only need egg yolks in the recipe, but there is no need to throw away the whites: you can easily freeze them for later. Just defrost them before use (for when you crave some meringue or macaroons).

Put 175 g caster sugar and 6 egg yolks in a heatproof bowl and place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Whisk them until pale, creamy and doubled in volume (about 5 min). Remove from the heat an whisk for another 1 min to cool. If you feel like being lazy and just mixing the sugar with the yolks without the simmering: don’t, I tried it and failed…

In another bowl, beat 284 ml pot double cream, 500 g mascarpone and 2 tbsp vanilla extract until combined. Fold or gently whisk this mixture into the creamy yolks (or vice versa, just put them together in the biggest of the two bowls).

Combine 100 ml freshly squeezed orange juice (I’m sure from a bottle will work just as well) with 50 ml Grand Marnier, then dip in half of 24 sponge fingers or ladyfingers (just buy a pack) and arrange them over the bottom of a serving dish. Pour over half the creamy mixture, then top with 350 g raspberries (save a couple for the decoration). Add a second layer of dipped cookies and the rest of the mixture and finish by dotting over the remaining raspberries. Cover and chill for 2 hours or overnight. And check on it every now and then, because last time I made a batch for my grandparents, my grandmother was spotted with a small spoon already secretly tasting it in between courses before it made it’s way to the table! Enjoy!

Use up your leftover speculaas: speculamisu

Speculamisu

To use up leftover speculaas and to surprise a friend who, because of her allergy to gluten, had never eaten tiramisu, I came up with a combination of both: speculamisu. It’s the same mix as for tiramisu, but instead of using ladyfingers (aka boudoirs) dipped in coffee, I use speculaas.

Let’s face it: after years of tiramisu revival, you’re bound to be ready for a change. If so, this is a great alternative.

Mix 4 egg yolks with 100 g icing sugar and a splash of amaretto. Add 500 g mascarpone and mix well (you don’t want any lumps). Beat 4 egg whites until stiff (add a small pinch of salt to make it easier). You should be able to hold your bowl upside down without the egg whites moving. Carefully spoon the egg whites under the mascarpone mix.

Put a layer of speculaas at the bottom of your serving this (if you didn’t have time to make them yourself, you can off course use shop-bought speculaas). You don’t need to soak them in anything, a couple of hours with your mascarpone mix and they will be soft. Add a layer of mascarpone mix, another layer of speculaas en so on. End with a layer of mascarpone mix.

That’s all there is to it! Put in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight and you’re ready to go. If you want, you can sprinkle some cacao powder on the top to decorate. If you prefer a regular tiramisu, just swap the speculaas for ladyfingers and dip them in strong coffee first. Enjoy!