In the 15 years of Owning and Operating John Palmer’s Bistro 44 I never had a pastry chef. I would force my chefs out of their comfort zones and challenge them to make sweet things. Most of our recipes were relatively simple, but that’s not to say there wasn’t some competition to be creative and to produce a seller. One of our favorites was this Tiramisu. This perfectly highlights all things sacred in Italian desserts. I hope you enjoy it!
TIRAMISU
3 lbs. Mascarpone Cheese
4 Egg Yolks
1.5 cups Sugar
1.5 cups Milk
2 cups Chocolate Morsels
2 packs of Lady Fingers
1 quart Whipping Cream
.5 cups sugar (additional)
3 cups of Espresso or reduced Coffee
Tia Maria
1) In a medium sized saucepan, mix the 1.5 cups of sugar with the egg yolks, then add the milk. Over low heat, stir this mixture to a “Nappe” consistency. (Okay … this is the only technical part of the dish so hang in there with me.) Using a rubber spatula make a figure 8 with this mixture until the custard holds the figure or holds the spatula. This process is to cook the egg. We do not want to scramble the egg. That is the process. Pretty much when this mixture gets hot to the touch you will see it thicken. At that point, pull it off the heat. Set aside. The rest is worth it. I promise.
2) Whip the heavy cream with the additional .5 cup of sugar to a medium peak. I do this by hand.
3) After the custard has cooled, add the chocolate and the mascarpone. Combine this mixture.
4) Next, combine your chilled espresso or coffee mixture with the Tia Maria. There isn’t an amount on the booze. That is up to you, and it could be deleted if you don’t want it in there.
5) The building process: At this point you should have a bowl of whipped cream, a bowl of chocolate-cheese custard and a bowl of coffee spiked with Tia Maria. Now we need something to build this thing in. I used two 6/8/4 Tupperware containers. 4-inch because we need the height. All these items should be in arm’s length on your counter.
• Working quickly, Dip 4 Lady Fingers into the coffee mixture and build the base layer of the tiramisu. Each layer will take 6 cookies. Cover the bottom of both containers.
• Now Spread a layer of the chocolate custard across the cookies,
• Then spread a layer of the whipped cream. Easy.
• Now repeat! Soak the lady fingers, add the custard, add the cream
• One more time! Layer of soaked cookies, custard, cream!
6) Cover with plastic wrap and place in your fridge overnight. Let this set up.
7) For serving, we used to cut and scoop this beauty onto a plate with some strawberries or fruit of your choice. No sauce, it’s all in there. We served this in a Martini glass at one point with the Tia Maria splashed on top. Nice for a dinner party.
Note: Each one of these Tupperwares will serve 6-8 people. You could definitely cut this in half if you like or make two and freeze one. I truly hope you will give this a try. It’s not that hard and really worth the payoff. I’m close by if you have any questions.
Compliments of Chef John and Michelle De Joy, Owners of John Palmer’s Bistro 44, in Concord, Ohio, and currently Saraceno residents.
