This page contains even more letters, questions and comments about Tiramisu and the website:
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- Tina: I was reading through the Vox Populi section and I saw someone inquire about a grocery store box mix for Tiramisu. I didn't get through all of the entries to see if someone replied, but I live in Connecticut and we have a mix in our grocery stores here. The brand is "Oetker", and it is in the section with no-bake cheesecake, boxed pie crust, etc. I was hesitant to try it because I know what GOOD Tiramisu tastes like and didn't think a boxed mix could come close, but I gave it a shot anyway. Well turns out it's really, really good! Not the best I have ever had, but darn close. It only took about 15 minutes of prep time too. It comes with the cream mix, lady fingers, and cocoa powder. All you have to add is milk, coffee and rum/amaretto/extract. I'd consider mailing it to someone who can't find the mix in their area. Thanks for a great site!
- Rob Hickey: Dammit! A whole site dedicated to a dessert! How GORGEOUS! I first discovered Tiramisu three years ago (I've led a very sheltered life) at a local (Wellington, New Zealand) Italian restaurant. I assumed, by its name, that it was Japanese and wondered why-the-hell it was being served in an Italian restaurant. One member of the party I was with (Keith) ordered this delight and was v surprised when it arrived. He declared that, while it was a very good Tiramisu, it wasn't as good as the one that he made. Since then I have sampled Tiramisu in quite a few restaurants, have made Tiramisu myself, and have sampled my Keith's Tiramisu. His is – all right. This Saturday I have a dinner party. Keith WAS going to bring the dessert (guess what THAT was going to be!) but, due to odd circumstances, he is no longer able to bring said dessert. Needless to say, I'm producing the dessert: a Tiramisu to end all Tiramisus!!! Thank you for your site! I've gone thru all your recipes and have amalgamated them into one STUNNING Tiramisu ... at least, I hope it will be stunning! Viva la Lady Fingers!
- Vanessa: It is pleasant to know I am not the only person obsessed with this dessert, and I'll be posting a recipe from the Le Cordon Bleu Home Collection for you shortly, as well as a few recipe recommendations. (I saw you were in Virginia but had a mediocre experience, whereas my favorite restaurant as I've yet discovered for Tiramisu is in Alexandria.) But moving on, I've a bit of a rant for you. When I saw your section for Tiramisu cakes I was confused, and then well ... shocked. Angel food cake? Belch! Contrary to popular belief, Tiramisu is not only made with lady fingers and there is a way of making a “proper” Tiramisu without having to put it in a dish. It’s called Genoise, or Genoese, a very basic European buttercake. While ladyfingers are also a classic recipe, Tiramisu is just as frequently prepared with Genoise as it is ladyfingers, and the recipes are quite similar, both involving goodly amounts of butter and frothed eggs close to a meringue that give the cake the air needed to make it prime for soaking up liqueurs. In your recipe section, I'll be giving you a recipe for Genoese Sponge, traditional lady fingers and an Almond Sponge, all excellent for Tiramisu or opera cake. I'm not sure if you've ever had opera cake, but its fairly close to Tiramisu, also offering many a variation and including the idea of a sponge cake (often almond) soaked with coffee flavors and in this instance often includes a chocolate ganache and a perfectly airy buttercream, which makes for a rich, but always wet cake. If you like Tiramisu, I'd highly recommend “Gateau Opera,” the French version of our beloved Italian Tiramisu.
- Nadia: I am so blessed to work with a lady who encourages me and treats me with respect and admiration and whose favorite desert is Tiramisu. I would like to surprise her with the best Tiramisu they sell in the Chicagoland area, but I do not know where that would be. If there is anybody out there that can help me with this answer I would love to know. (CRAIG’S NOTE: Check out the Chicago page on this website. My personal Chicago favorites are Carlucci and Sorriso.
- John Bostrack : I was recently at Buca's in Milwaukee, WI and they had a great Tiramisu. I found the recipe on this website, however the ingredients list an "espresso rum mixture." I am wondering how much or each makes the mixture. I am also looking for a substitute for the liquor as an option. If anyone has information for me, please e-mail me. (CRAIG’S NOTE: The amount of liquor used is mostly a matter of taste [as long as one doesn't drown the ladyfingers]. One alternative when no measurement is given is to sprinkle it on top of the espresso-dipped ladyfingers after they are arranged in the dish. As for alcohol, one can either leave it out entirely, or use an alcohol-free wine instead.)
- Edith Kurran: I hope you got the answer I submitted, re: the Tiramisu pudding of Mytyfine. I don’t know how true it is to the real flavor, but it is delicious, and reminds me of Eggnog flavor. I even put a sprinkle of nutmeg on top instead of the cocoa they suggested. Best wishes.
- Starspokes747: I made the Tiramisu at 8,000 feet (I am in the Rockies) and I think I need to add some ricotta to the recipe, because the cream cheese wouldn't fluff up. The flavor was great, and I cannot find ladyfingers. I tried baking some, with horrible results. White sponge cake would do, I suppose. I used those strawberry shortcake cakes, and found them fair to middling. I didn't have any liqueur flavoring. I just need some volume to the cream cheese, because after refrigerating it, I felt I was eating a lump of sweet cream cheese, and not the fluffy Tiramisu. I had the cheese at room temperature, and whipped it, but it never increased in volume, even after adding the powdered sugar. I like the slightly rough texture ricotta may add. I would like a low-cal recipe, and I would never use raw egg. I love Tiramisu, and I could eat it at least every week. If it is too sweet, I don't like it, and if the cream is the consistency of custard, I become bellicose. If it is like cheesecake, I am not happy, either. I like to become one with my Tiramisu. The best Tiramisu takes a long time to savor, and swallow. The sides of the dish are scraped repeatedly. (FOUR DAYS LATER: Well, I am on my third recipe. Having not been able to find ladyfingers, I am now using a Bavarian flat sponge cake to cut into fingers, and layering the concoction. All my filling for Tiramisu has been reluctant to fluff up. I have been using sour cream, ricotta, and cream cheese. It still goes flat. Tastes good, but ... I miss the semi-cheesecake texture. Not quite heavy, but with some resistance. The search goes on. I will not use raw eggs. I think Tiramisu is a challenge. It's worth the struggle.)
- Kami Coffaro: I’ve found the best home substitute for 1 lb fresh mascarpone is 1/2 lb heavy whipping cream, whipped until stiff and folded into 8 oz fresh whole-milk ricotta cheese. It has a similar sweet, clean flavor, while regular American cream cheese, even the soft kind, is too sour and briny. In fact, it's debatable whether the Italians used sweetened ricotta instead of mascarpone for Tiramisu in the first place. Of course, mascarpone is sublime (I just bought an 8 oz container to compare with my substitute and ate the whole thing plain in 24 hours!). Also, this substitute might be too soft for recipes that require a firm cheese. Question: If one cannot find tartaric acid for making one’s own mascarpone from fresh cream, can one substitute cream of tartar, a common leavening found in the grocery store? If so, how much? According to one source, cream of tartar is tartaric acid, half neutralized with potassium hydroxide. (CRAIG’S NOTE: I don’t have an answer for Kami’s cream of tartar substitute question. Can anybody out there help her?
- Pedpac: (Re: SUFO recipe) We tried out this recipe tonight and found that it was not to our liking. We have traveled to Italy and had many recipes and found that this recipe did not meet normal standards. It was dry and lacked flavor, too bitter, and the brandy was too strong. A better alternative would be Kahlua. Though the recipe was very simple and the instructions were easy, it was not palatable. We would not recommend this recipe.
- Belén Requejo Alvarez: I would like to know how to do Tiramisu at home – but I would like to get it in Spanish – is this possible? Thanks – Belén. (CRAIG'S NOTE: I'm sorry, I can't help, but if anybody out there can translate a recipe into Spanish, please contact Belén. One thing you can try is to get one of the recipe pages translated by Alta Vista’s “Babelfish” Translator at http://babelfish.altavista.com/ or you can do a websearch on Google in Spanish.)
- Rose V. Smith: Does anyone else think that Tiramisu tastes like Boston creme pie? I tried it for the first time at a luncheon and I thought it was Boston creme pie with a twist! I told my co-worker what I thought and he laughed at me. I'd never even heard of Tiramisu before so, of course, he treated me like I was an idiot. I love the dessert and look forward to trying it again.
- Chris Woods: For person who wanted egg less Tiramisu recipe: One of the Moosewood Cookbooks has a recipe for egg-less Tiramisu. If you don't own the books you can find them at your local library most likely.
- James Finch, do: I have to applaud your site. My brother Joe made what amounts to some of the finest Tiramisu that has ever passed through my lips after visiting your website. He blended the Williams Sonoma and a recipe from the Food Network website by the name of "Tiramisu Italiano." A restaurant that captured it best before this was Mia Francesca's in Lincoln Park, IL. It was partially the ambiance and partially the company, but the fact is it is GREAT TIRAMISU also. Thanks for your awesome website.
- Mr. And Mrs. Castillo: Hi, there. I wouldn't continue to recommend Trilussa. They are not a very clean establishment. The other day I went there for Tiramisu and a cockroach was parading itself across the wall (and it wasn't a small one, either!) Anyway, just thought I’d let you know. I had ordered the dessert but left as soon as I saw that. I had eaten there before and, you're right, the Tiramisu was great, but that incident, the second time I visited, sort of put a damper on the experience and put me off from going back again! However, Maggianno's Little Italy in Costa Mesa, California (not sure of the spelling) serves an excellent Tiramisu ... in our book ... a perfect 10! Big portions and smooth, airy consistency. Not too sweet at all. Thanks for the site!
- Suzgrll: I love your site and all the wonderful recipes. I am getting ready to try making this for the first time. I have one comment to make, however, or perhaps question is better. Isn't it unsafe to use uncooked eggs? I would think that some form of heat treatment would be much safer, at least in the US. Thanks, (CRAIG’S NOTE: Yes, there is always the possibility that the egg(s) might be contaminated with salmonella. However, this is very rare, something like 1 in 10,000 eggs is contaminated, and that mostly happens in the northeastern US, according to the FDA. If it bothers you, what you can do is use a zabaglione, which is basically a custard. There are a number of recipes in the "Healthy Tiramisu Recipes" section that either eliminate eggs altogether, or which use a zabaglione. However, in my opinion, they are not as heavenly as those made with the raw eggs.
- Elena (from Treviso): I found your website and I'd like to tell you that it's great. :) However, there are a couple of things that you got wrong. "Zuppa Inglese" is nothing like Tiramisù and that should prove my second point. Tiramisù is really from Treviso. Zuppa Inglese may be from Tuscany, but Tiramisù was first created in Treviso. The story about the courtesans should be true too. As far as I know Tiramisù used to be eaten by the ladies who "worked" in the brothel above the restaurant called "Le Beccherie," where Tiramisù is said to have been created. :) Btw, I *am* from Treviso and I make the best Tiramisù in the world. ;) Another thing, the best mascarpone in the world is made by "Latteria di Soligo." I tried other brands, but no one is as good as theirs. Best savoiardi you can find are those made by Vicenzi, they're called "Vicenzovo." Take care!
- Jeroen Pas (Roosendaal, Holland): As a former "aide de camp" to a real Italian kitchen chef, I've mastered the divine skills of preparing a "more than decent" Tiramisu. A few weeks ago, I encountered a superb Tiramisu variation -- filled with soft tutti fruti, only white biscuit (no coffee) and completely covered with white chocolate mousse. A kind of culinary orgasm ... and now I'm desperately looking for a good receipe. Does anybody know this recipe? Hope to hear from you.
- Tammy Bohorquez: I was just looking for a recipe for Tiramisu to find what kind of alcohol was generally used in the dessert, but your site was a lot more than just a plain old recipe. Thanks!
- Peter Adams: I make this often but put "43" (a vanilla liqueur) in mine, a well-known Spanish liqueur. It goes in the vanilla custard. It tastes fantastic.
- Zeina Yanni: I was surprised and very pleased to find your website. I wanted a basic Tiramisu recipe and happened to find many that I liked. I had a little bit of a hard time choosing a recipe. I wanted to make Tiramisu that is fluffy or has a whip-like consistency with the cream. I went to a place called Café Roma, off of Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. Their Tiramisu was great. It wasn't too heavy to where you can actually taste the ingredients but smooth and rich. I would like any recommendations of recipes of anything that may sound close to that. I will be trying Carlucci's tonight. Thanks for the website!
- Alison Woollands: Okay, I've been given a "Best Ever Tiramisu" recipe from a friend which uses both lady finger biscuits and shortbread. It says the biscuits should just be dipped in the coffee/liqueur mixture before proceeding to layer a bowl with them and marscapone mixture. However, I tried this the other day and the shortbread biscuits remained solid which I feel let the dish down. Have you heard of using shortbread in Tiramisu and, if so, what's the trick - soaking it extra long, breaking into smaller pieces? Thanks. (CRAIG’S NOTE: Shortbread is by its very nature harder and crunchier than ladyfingers. My suggestion is to crumb it, then press it in a layer, and then sprinkle the coffee on top of it. That way, it's sort of like a graham cracker crust that's soft instead of hard and crunchy. Hope this helps.)
- Rick Ramsden (Adelaide, Australia): My darling wife made it for the first time for a lunch party. It was a great success.
- Hermann Baumann: I have been a great admirer of the "Tiramisu -- Heaven In Your Mouth" website for a while, and in fact, have got great recipes out from it, which have helped me get great admiration from my friends. My favorite recipe: The Sophia Loren Tiramisu, with one addition that I make: over the first layer of ladyfingers + orange liquor + expresso coffee + grated bitter chocolate + unsweetened cocoa powder, I pour a very thin layer of bitter orange marmelade with tiny and extremely thin orange skin slices. That makes my Tiramisu more than heavenly!
- Chris: I really enjoyed looking over it. Had Tiramisu for the first time at a catered party a few weeks ago and couldn't stop thinking about it. I tried a recipe from your site, but the one I chose did not turn out too well. My ladyfingers were too fat and the lack of mascarpone probably was not a good idea. I hope to try some of the restaurants mentioned soon. Thanks again.
- K. Kahtiak: I first heard of Tiramisu last November. My eldest had passed away and a friend of mine made this wonderful dessert for me. I shared a very little bit of it with a friend who took it home and shared it, and has begged me, literally begged me to get my other friend to make it again as all his roommates were also begging for more. It is well named a heavenly dessert. I've begged my friend for the recipe, she got it from her mother, and so far, she hasn't made it again nor given us the recipe. I have a daughter who is not well right now and has been waiting to try this dessert we keep talking about. My friend was supposed to take some to her, but no go. So I took a long shot and went to the computer and here I am.
- Mary Stoecker: Has anybody seen, or collected a recipe called "Mock Tiramisu"? Supposedly easy to make, in large quanity for a wedding shower, etc. Thanks.
- Jerry Snyder: Thanks for making this wonderful site available. Do you have Edy's Dreamery ice creams where you are? They have a "friend" called "Tiramisu" that is fun, even if it will not roll a tear down your cheek. Still, you can put a smile on your face with it (http://www.edys-dreamery.com/flavor/home3.asp?ID=28) But then, you already have a great big smile from visiting this extra nice site.
- C. Habib: I was told that the origin of Tiramisu was as follows. During Easter time, Italians buy a lot of panettone, which is a delicious cake-like product made of yeast. Unfortunately, once the packet in which the panettone is wrapped is opened, the product tends to dry rather quickly so that a large amount of stale panettone was invariably thrown away. However someone started making use of this dry panettone by placing slices at the bottom of a container, soaking them with liquor/wine, custard, etc. Eventually the use of sponge fingers often replaces the panettone.
- Simmrin Chakravarty: I am from Bombay, India and am a professional baker and cook, I have my own small business, catering for very select clientele. Tiramisu is a favorite amongst a lot of my clients, and I haven’t been able to get the right recipe nor anyone who does a good job of it. It is very difficult for us to get mascarpone cheese in India and I really appreciate the effort gone into making a substitute recipe for it. I will try it and let you know. Thank you.
- Amy Anderson: As a previous Vox Populi poster commented you can get delicious Tiramisu Custard from Kopp’s Custard in Wisconsin. (Custard in WI is like a very rich ice cream – it is not like pudding.) You can get this regional treat delivered to your door (in the 48 continental states). Go to www.kopps.com for details. No, I do not work for Kopp’s I just love their custard and especially Tiramisu!
- Drew Glucina: I would like to find a really rich Tiramisu recipe. One with preferably as many egg yolks/eggs as possible. Some of the US recipes are just too basic.
- Erica Burford: I live in Australia with a bloke who prefers that his desserts are not too sweet. However he really likes this version of Tiramisu and I prefer it now too. It’s a bit less sickly if there are only two of you to eat a whole 6-serving batch. Use your favorite recipe involving eggs. I buy savoiardi biscuits. Use dry vermouth instead of your usual liquor. Use 1/2 dry vermouth and 1/2 espresso (or 6xstrength instant coffee) for the syrup. Do not add sugar. If you usually add sugar to the egg/cheese mix, omit it. Use unsweetened cocoa. If you want to try a non-alcohol version, add an unsweetened nut essence to the coffee and thin it a bit with water.
- Heather Hockman: I have tried just two of your recipes and I don't think I'll need to try any more! The one you recommended (Carlucci) was just great. I used mascarpone and savoiardi and yum yum! Thanks for your web site.
- Todd Erickson: I lived in Italy for 2 years, and while there often spoke to Italians on how to make various items, including Tiramisu. As one who doesn't drink alcohol or coffee, I found a DELICIOUS way to make this wonderful dessert without either --simply substitute gourmet hot cocoa (whatever flavor you desire) and a touch of rum extract. Purists will argue, but the effect is a deliciously chocolate variation of the original. Bon appetito!
- Harleeeeee: I had copied and tried a few recipes from your website. I am convinced that the Specialty Baker's Classic recipe is the best. It's not too hard to make and has the flavor and texture that is just right. We're having it today for Thanksgiving and I'll make it as a dish for a party on Saturday. I travel for a living and eat out a lot. There is not a restaurant out there that beats homemade!
- Tanaz Mistry: My fiancé and I are ardent Tiramisu fans and that’s the cake we want for our wedding in Seattle. I saw a picture of an incredible Tiramisu cake on your website (the picture said, "A Tiramisu Wedding Cake! (Jeff and Anita Orr, Happy Valley, Oregon)." I really want to know where they got it from. Also if ANYONE has any suggestions of where I can get a "to-die-for" Tiramisu wedding cake in Seattle? I really appreciate it, I'm getting married in less than 2 months! (CRAIG’S NOTE: Why not take one of the Tiramisu cake recipes on the Cake Recipe page to your local baker and see what they can do with it?)
- Kathryn Scholes: Just thought I’d let you know I found your website to be very helpful. Who knew there would be a website for Tiramisu! I love the Internet!
- Ray Moss: Please could you tell me why Tiramisu liquor seems to be used in the Italian restaurants to make the dessert Tiramisu? I would also like to know what the ingredient is of the Tiramisu liquor as I am unable to read the label on the bottle that I have. My wife uses Tiramisu liquor in our dessert as told by an Italian chef. (CRAIG’S NOTE: Can anybody help Ray?)
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