Tiramisu

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  All time favourite Italian dessert, especially for coffee lovers. I used my homemade mascarpone cheese this time and it worked so well, this recipe will need 2 batches of the homemade mascarpone recipe from my earlier blog.
  
  
  Ingredients:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• 100 g sponge fingers
• 200 ml good hot sweetened coffee
• 2 large free-range eggs (or pasteurised)
• 75 g caster sugar
• 350 g mascarpone (on how to make homemade mascarpone, see earlier blog)
  Cocoa powder for dusting
  75 g dark chocolate bar, grated

How to:

Line a bowl or earthenware dish (15 diameter and 12 cm deep) with the sponge fingers, then carefully drizzle the hot sweetened coffee all over the sponge fingers. Set aside.

Separate your eggs, putting the whites into one bowl and the yolks into another. Add the sugar to the yolks and whisk with an electric whisk on the highest setting for about 5 minutes, or by hand, until all the sugar has dissolved and the yolks are pale and fluffy. Mix in the mascarpone.

With and clean and dry whisk, whisk the whites with a pinch of salt until they form stiff peaks – they should be a similar consistency to the yolk and mascarpone mixture, and should hold their shape when you lift the beaters from the bowl.

Using a large metal spoon, add a spoonful of your whites to the yolk mixture and gently fold them in, then fold through the rest of the whites. Spoon and smooth this creamy mixture on top of your sponge fingers. Spread the grated chocolate. Repeat this in another layer. 

Dust the top with cocoa powder.
Pop the tiramisù into the fridge for at least 2 hours to set. 


*
To pasteurised your eggs, wash your eggs with cold water then in a pot cover them with water. Heat 
them until 60 C, leave them 2-3 minute on that temperature for 2 large eggs. Wash with cold water and eggs are ready to be used.

Homemade Mascarpone Cheese

Mascarpone cheese is delicious for cheesecake, tiramisu, frosting and much more, but store bought mascarpone is ridiculously expensive! Here is an easy way to make mascarpone cheese with everyday ingredients and costs a lot cheaper.

Ingredients:

1 cup heavy (whipping) cream

11/2 teaspoon (15ml) of lemon juice 

How to:

1. Heat the cream over a medium heat until it almost comes to a boil, or once the temperature reaches 90 C (if you are using a thermometer). 
2. Remove from heat, and stir in the lemon juice. Return it to the heat and stir over a low heat until the mixture has thickened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let it cool to room temperature for approximately 20 minutes. Then transfer to the fridge to let it cool completely. Let it sit for 2 to 3 hours.
   
   
   
   Line a fine-mesh strainer or sieve with a cheesecloth (or butter muslin). Set it over a bowl to catch the whey (but there shouldn't be too much whey). Pour the thickened cream into the strainer, and let it drain in the refrigerator until thick, about 6-12 hours. Transfer the mascarpone to a covered container and store in the fridge. Will keep in the fridge up to 7 days.
3. Makes about 6 oz.

Homemade Ricotta Cheese

This is the easiest cheese to make, almost foolproof. I mean if I can make it, anyone can. Fresh ricotta is delicious for lasagna, pasta filling, desserts or even baby food!

It only needs 2 ingredients, milk and vinegar. Make sure you don't use UHT milk because the process makes the milk change and it cannot separate from the whey.

Ingredients:

2 litres milk (non UHT)

1/4 cup Apple cider vinegar

How to:

Heat the milk until it comes to a gentle boil, turn off the heat. Stir in the vinegar until the milk starts to separate from the whey. Cover for at least 30 minutes, I left it longer at times so I was left with firmer curds. 

Ladle the curds into a muslin lined colander (or you can even use a handkerchief), let it drain until you achieve the consistency you like.