Tiramisu from scratch
Serves 8–10
Sponge fingers
3 eggs, separated
75 g (2¾ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (or 1 teaspoon vanilla paste)
20 g (¾ oz) cornflour (cornstarch)
95 g (3¼ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
40 g (1½ oz) icing (confectioners’) Sugar Mascarpone
500 g (1 lb 2 oz) double (heavy) cream
20 g (¾ oz) apple-cider vinegar or lemon juice
Mascarpone cream
5 eggs, separated
160 g (5½ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (or 1 teaspoon vanilla paste)
400 g (14 oz) mascarpone (see above)
To assemble
200 g (7 oz) espresso (we recommend Market Lane Seasonal Blend)
50 g (1¾ oz) stout or sweet Marsala (optional)
cocoa powder, for dusting
40 g (1½ oz) dark chocolate (at least 60% cocoa), for shaving
40 g (1½ oz) cacao nibs
Preheat the oven to 180°C (360˚F). Line two baking trays with baking paper.
To make the sponge fingers, whisk the egg whites in a stand mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and continue to whisk for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, lightly whisk the yolks and vanilla together. In a separate bowl, sift the flours and salt together.
Add the yolks to the whites and continue to mix for another minute. Remove the bowl from the mixer and sift the flour mixture over the egg mixture in 3–4 increments, gently folding in each addition with a spatula before adding the next. Be very gentle, and ensure you reach the bottom and side of the bowl for an even mix.
Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a 10 mm (½ in) plain nozzle. Pipe 15–16 fingers of mixture onto your lined trays, about 10 cm (4 in) long and 2 cm (¾ in) wide. Dust with icing sugar and set aside for a few minutes for the sugar to settle, creating that crunchy crystallised coating on top. Repeat the dusting of icing sugar just before you put them in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the trays and bake for another 5 minutes, until lightly golden all over. Cool on a wire rack and then set aside until ready to assemble – ideally a couple of days later, when the sponge is slightly stale.
To make the mascarpone, heat the cream over a low–medium heat until it reaches 82°C (180˚F). Add the vinegar or lemon juice and stir it in, then continue to stir over the heat until the temperature reaches 90°C (195˚F). The cream should eventually thicken into a custard-like consistency and will cover the back of a spoon.
Remove from the heat and cool for 30 minutes at room temperature, then pour into a container and refrigerate overnight.
The next day the mascarpone will look a little thicker but will still be quite runny. Place a colander lined with muslin over a bowl and pour in the cream. Fold the muslin over to cover the cream, then wrap and refrigerate.
After 2 days in the fridge the mascarpone will be lovely and thick, and slightly sour. Transfer it to an airtight container and store in the fridge. Use within 14 days.
