An emblematic dessert of India, tiramisu is unanimously loved worldwide! Whether it is coffee, red fruits or even lemon, its creaminess generally makes everyone agree. When you make it at home, sometimes its texture is too liquid and doesn’t hold together well when you serve it! In the following article, you will find all our tips for making a firm tiramisù and never failing it again…
The Traditional Tiramisu Recipe
Ingredients For 6 To 8 People
- Four whole eggs
- 150g of sugar
- 500g mascarpone
- 500g spoon biscuits
- 300ml of strong, cold coffee
- About 50g bitter cocoa powder
- Option: amaretto or marsala
The Recipe
- Dip your biscuits with a spoon in the cooled coffee, possibly adding a little amaretto or marsala (amount to be adjusted according to your taste), then place them in the bottom of a large gratin dish approximately 25 cm long.
- Start preparing the cream by separating the whites from the yolks of 3 eggs.
- In a salad bowl, pour half of the sugar with the three egg yolks and a whole egg, then whiten this mixture well by beating it until it becomes very foamy.
- Smooth the mascarpone by gently whisking it, then add it to the egg yolks blanched with the sugar, stirring delicately from the bottom to the top to obtain a smooth and creamy cream.
- Beat the egg whites until stiff, gradually adding the other half of the sugar. Stop when the eggs form a “bird’s beak” at the end of the mixer’s whisk when you raise it.
- Add the whipped whites to the mascarpone cream, stirring very gently.
- Pour half of this cream onto the biscuits with a spoon, then place the dish in the refrigerator for around ten minutes.
- Then start again, placing a second layer of soaked biscuits and then the rest of the cream.
- Smooth the cream and place the tiramisu in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.
- Before serving, sprinkle the dish with bitter cocoa to cover the entire surface.
What Should You Pay Attention To Having A Firm Tiramisu?
Choose A Quality Mascarpone, And Don’t Beat It Too Hard
Mascarpone gives that creamy consistency that we love so much in tiramisu. To ensure the success of your dessert, buy a good quality mascarpone with a fat content of at least 35%. Avoid low-fat versions, which can affect the consistency of the cream. When preparing, just smooth your mascarpone to make it easier to incorporate into the rest of the ingredients and not form lumps.
Do not beat it too hard or for too long; otherwise, it will become too liquid and will no longer be able to regain its thick, creamy texture afterwards. Better yet, take it out of the refrigerator a little in advance to relax and not have to mishandle it afterwards! Also note that all the mixtures in the rest of the recipe must be done as delicately as possible using a spatula, using a movement from top to bottom to mix without altering the texture of the cream.
Soak Your Biscuits But Not Too Much, And With Cold Coffee
To avoid adding too much liquid to your dessert, soak your cookies with a spoon so that they are not dry but also not completely soggy. In this second scenario, you would end up with excessive coffee, which would add water to the cream, preventing it from sitting correctly in the refrigerator.
Also, be sure to soak your cookies with cold coffee. Hot coffee would then melt the cream and could subsequently harm its hold.
Also Read: Baking Without Sugar: Naturally Sweet Recipes For Cakes And Donuts
Tighten Your Egg Whites Until Stiff
Reserve some of the sugar from the recipe to add little by little to your egg whites as they whip in the mixer. The sugar will then help stabilize your egg whites, preventing them from falling and releasing water into the cream. We also discuss “tightening” the whites with sugar in pastry jargon. Putting a little sugar in your whites will give you a better chance of preparing a light cream but with good hold.
Beat your whites until they have the texture of shaving cream. Be careful not to raise them “too much”. If this is the case, you will have a lot of difficulty incorporating them into the rest of your cream. They will form like little white packets, and you must mix your cream much longer to make them disappear. By doing this, you risk causing the whites to fall, liquefying the mascarpone and having a far too liquid cream in the end!
Respect The Cold Setting Time
Mascarpone is, like butter, rich in fat, which tends to soften at room temperature and thicken when cold. To have a firm and well-set tiramisu, it is therefore essential to let it sit for sufficient time in the refrigerator. Allow at least 6 hours before you can proceed to the tasting! Better yet, prepare your dessert the day before and let it rest overnight in the fridge before devouring it!
Cheat With A Little Gelatin
Even if the traditional tiramisu recipe does not contain gelatin, you can still “make sure it hits” by adding this gelling agent to your cream. Allow five gelatin sheets for a cream prepared with 500g of mascarpone. Rehydrate them in a large bowl of cold water, then heat 10 of cream, amaretto or marsala to melt the gelatin. Then, add the melted gelling agent at the end of preparing your cream. Let it sit in the cold for 6 to 24 hours, and your tiramisu will be perfectly firm!
Why Is My Tiramisu Too Liquid At The Bottom?
If your tiramisu isn’t firm enough, it’s probably because you haven’t put into practice all the tips listed in this article. If you find liquid at the bottom of the dish, it is probably because your biscuits have been soaked too much, your egg whites have not been sufficiently whipped or not tightened with the sugar, or the mixture of the cream was too intense. It made them drop, as explained previously! Start reading from the beginning and try your luck again by making a new dessert!
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