All things with a sense of style: dessert

Lift me up: Classic Easy Tiramisu Recipe

dessert 1:41 AM

It's difficult to find a better moment to share a recipe for classic Italian dessert Tiramisu than while snacking on Parmiagiano Reggiano! :) I adopted the recipe from a famous Italian Chef Antonio Carluccio - it's super quick and easy to make, and won't take more than 20 minutes of your time!

I don't think anyone needs a reasoning to make tiramisu - it's a wonderful dessert that speaks for itself: from Italian "tiramisu" can be translated as "cheer me up" or "lift me up". So whenever you feel like you need an extra kick of endorphins, clouds of creamy mascarpone on a airy pillows of savoiardi will help you get there.

A couple of little notes before you start preparing your dessert.

- Use only fresh organic eggs.
I used to make tiramisu without eggs at all (substituting them with whipped cream and leaving the cake for the night in the fridge to stabilize) when I didn't have access to those - but traditional version really needs that yolk.

- Make your coffee in advance and let it cool down.
Yes, I know that some people suggest using hot coffee claiming that it helps savoiardi to melt faster - I tried both methods, and honestly, it's much better to work with cold coffee because a) it doesn't burn your fingers and b) you have less chance to "overdip" your savoiardi this way!

- Use liquor in your coffee-dipping mixture
Seriously, just do it :)

- Don't over-dust with chocolate / cocoa powder
When I was craving tiramisu and went to Eataly they put so much cocoa powder that I almost choked because powders tend to overwhelm your mouth receptors.

Ingredients and directions for Classic Easy Tiramisu (makes two portions):

Ingredients:
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp sugar (for cream)
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g mascarpone
splash of milk
1 pot of coffee (~2 cups)
2 tbsp of sugar (for coffee mix)
1/2 pack of savoiardi / lady fingers
1 tsp liqueur (Marsala/Kalua/Dark Rum/ or Kirsch for slight cherry flavour)

Directions:
*Make coffee and let it cool down (if you have not read my notes before:))
1) Mix egg yolk with 2tbsp of sugar with a whisk.
2) Add mascarpone (apparently, better if it's a little bit sour) and a splash of milk to the mixture, and mix it until the consistency is smooth. Set aside.
2) Dissolve 1-2tbsp of sugar in the coffee, and start briefly dipping saoiardi one by one in there and quickly putting them in your serving bowl.
3) After every layer of coffee-dipped savoiardi put the mascarpone cream. Repeat till you have no more savoiardi or cream :)
4) Lightly dust with cocoa powder.

This wonderful dessert can be enjoyed right away but I prefer to keep it in the frige ~4hours for a more intense flavour. Best of all paired with espresso!

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“Medovik” Traditional Russian Honey Cake

dessert 2:17 AM

Imagine the soft sponge that melts in your mouth, the creaminess of the mascarpone mixed with an intense caramel flavour, and tiny crumbles that add a little bit of complexity to the texture. It’s rich, sweet, and indulgent. Meet an updated version of the traditional Russian sweet treat - The Honey Cake.

First of all, I should be honest and confess that I DON’T like honey :) I mean I can still eat it when the circumstances are right. For example, there is a cheese plate with honey, grapes and nuts in front of me at the wine bar. Or I’m sick, and I drink hot black tea with honey, apples and cinnamon to boost my immune system. But I won’t probably crave a spoon of honey by itself. However, this cake is so good that even people like fell in love with it.

There is a beautiful legend that explains why the honey cake has become a staple in the Russian cuisine. In the beginning of the XIX century, Russian Empress Elizabeth, the wife of the Emperor Alexander I, hated honey so much that she prohibited royal cooks to use it in any dishes. All chefs were obedient and followed the order not to fall into disgrace. Once, when cooks had to come up with a new dessert for the royal family, a young cook who didn’t know about Elizabeth’s taste, prepared a honey cake.

Delicate layers of the sponge and classic custard cream were absolutely mouthwatering, and the Empress loved this dessert most of all. When she asked what the cake was made from, the young cook could not lie to the Empress and confessed that he used honey for his recipe. Elizabeth laughed and send an order to reward the young chef for his reckless bravery and for the delicious cake he created for her. Since then the honey cake has become the favourite sweet treat for Elizabeth and was cooked for every feast at the palace.

I’d like to offer a modern twist of the famous honey cake - made with mascarpone based cream instead of the custard or sour cream that are often used in Russia. I hope that whether you like honey or not, you’ll enjoy this decadent sweet treat.

The Honey Cake "Medovik": The recipe and directions

INGREDIENTS (for one ~9-inch 6 layer cake):
Dough:
2 large eggs
¾ cup (150g) sugar
⅓ cup (120g) honey
90g salted butter (cut in small pieces)
1 heaped tsp baking soda
3 cups (~400g) cake flour
Cream:
~500g mascarpone cheese
380g dulce de leche (1 can)
2 tbs creme fraiche (or sour cream)
1 box of blackberries (for decoration)

DIRECTIONS:

Sponge:

Place a wide pot with 2-3 cups of water, over high heat until steaming-hot, then adjust temperature to maintain a gentle simmer.
Put eggs, sugar, honey, and butter in a bowl and set it over steaming water, constantly stirring with a whisk, until sugar dissolves completely for ~2-3min.
Add baking soda, quickly stir, and remove from the heat.
Add flour, and mix until combined.
Preheat the oven to 360F (180C) and in the meantime put the dough in the fridge to cool down for ~10 min. The dough will thicken and won’t be as sticky as before.
Divide the dough into 6 parts/balls and roll each piece in between 2 sheets of wax paper - you should have a thin round-shaped piece of dough. Remove the top sheet, prick the dough with a fork; put your rolled-out dough on a wax paper onto the baking tray and bake for about 4-5 minutes until lightly golden.
Repeat step 6 five more times :)
While you wait for the layers to bake, cut uneven edges of the baked sponge using a 9-inch cake ring or a knife and a baking form as a stencil.
Make little crumbs of those sponge leftovers and save for later. (You can use your hands, knife or put the pieces in between wax paper and crush them with your rolling pin)

Cream:

Mix mascarpone, dulce de leche and creme fraiche in a large bowl and whisk until well combined.

Assembly:

Put ~2tbs of cream in between each layer of the sponge, as well as on the top layer and sides of the cake.
Cover the cake all over with crumbs that you saved and decorate with berries of your choice.

Serving tips:

The Honey Cake can be enjoyed right away, however, I recommend to keep the cake in the fridge for at least one hour before serving, or even overnight for a more intense honey/caramel flavour.
The Honey cake is best enjoyed paired with black tea or coffee.

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