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Mascarpone has very old origins and it appears that it was already produced in the 13th century in the Lombardy region of Northern Italy, where took its name from mascherpa which is the local term for a sort of ricotta cheese. Mascarpone is more than a cheese: it’s a concentrate of milk cream, with a fat content up to 75%, with a smooth, creamy and sweet texture. It was considered a winter product for its caloric content and especially because it is very delicate and didn’t keep for long in the hot temperatures before the advent of the refrigerator. There are many American makers of this cheese but none has the same delicate taste, smoothness, and refinement of the Italian freshly made one. Still, even if American Mascarpone is not the best, do not even think about substituting it with cream cheese: the result would be disastrous.

Zabaglione cream is a classic Italian dessert originally from Venice. The famous Italian gastronome Giuseppe Maffioli was writing that the name of this cream originates from zabaja, a sweet dessert popular in the Illiria region. It is the coastal area across the Adriatic Sea that was Venetian territory for long time during the golden age of the “Repubblica Serenissima” (The Most Serene Republic) of Venice. Zabaglione was prepared in those times with yolks, honey, and sweet Cyprus wine. Today sugar is used instead and most often Marsala wine, that gives it a distinctive flavor. It is a simple and quite easy recipe to make, in spite of many food writers describing it as a complicated and laborious thing. The original Tiramisu’ recipe from the Restaurant Le Beccherie doesn’t include the use of wine.

Espresso coffee is obtained by forcing pressurized water through coffee powder. It is made from a blend of roasted grains of different origin, often ground on the spot to maximize the flavor. Naturally espresso ends up being much stronger that regular American coffee: It is a true shot of caffeine.

Savoiardi: These delicate cookies, also known as Ladyfingers, were originated at the court of the Savoia Dukes around the 1500’s in the Northern Italian region of Piemonte, at the boundaries with France. Apparently they were created for a lavish reception organized in honor of a visit of the King of France. Later, thanks to the extraordinary success in this memorable banquet, these cookies were “adopted” officially by the Royal House of Piemonte. They were renamed “Savoiardi” from the name of the Savoia dynasty, and they became the most appreciated dessert of the house. Savoiardi are very light because they are prepared with a dough rich of whipped egg white. Very popular for the preparation of layer cakes, they are also served as complement to custards, ice cream or fruit salad.

In conclusion: a very rich cheese; the eggs yolks, sugar and sweet wine in the zabaglione; the caffeine of the espresso coffee, and the chocolate make this cake an ultra-nutritious combination, guaranteed to pick-you-up.

There are many variations of the classic TIRAMISU” recipe and I want to introduce you to two exclusive recipes, developed by Anna Maria especially and EXCLUSIVELY for this website: The Duomo Tiramisu’ and the Crespelle Tiramisu’.

Buona Cucina!

Pietro Mascioni 08/20/2004
© Anna Maria Volpi, 2004

There is no doubt: Tiramisu is the most popular Italian dessert, known worldwide.
It is quite extraordinary how this cake conquered the entire word in very short time. It was “invented” in the 70’s in the town Treviso in the northern region of Veneto, at a stone’s throw from Venice, but became really popular only in the early 90’s.
Today is considered a classic, has innumerable variations, and it is present in every restaurant menu.

All About TIRAMISU

One of the most comprehensive sites about Tiramisu’

THE HISTORY
OF TIRAMISU’

Tiramisu’ with Mixed Berries

Duomo Tiramisu’

Crespelle Tiramisu’

Zabaglione Custard

Mascarpone Cream

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There is no doubt: Tiramisu is the most popular Italian dessert, known worldwide. Today is considered a classic, has innumerable variations, and it is present in every restaurant menu.

Why is Tiramisu so popular? The answer is simple: It is DELICIOUS! . . . when it is properly done. It is one of those rare instances when a combination of flavors is created, that blends all the components perfectly together, and takes the taste of the whole preparation to a higher level. We could say that Tiramisu’ is like Black Powder: the parts taken separately are innocuous but when they are blended together they become an explosion of taste.

Tirami su’ is a dialectal expression of Veneto that means “pick me up”, in the sense of re-energize, regain strength, or waking-up. The meaning becomes apparent when you analyze what goes into this dessert. The main ingredients of Tiramisu are: Mascarpone cheese, Zabaglione cream, Espresso coffee, Savoiardi cookies (also known as Ladyfingers) and a topping of chocolate.

Tiramisu’ Ice Cream