Moccamaster Tiramisu
Serves: 6
Tiramisu is one of those desserts I will never get tired of making, or eating. Traditionally you'd reach for espresso, but filter coffee brewed through a Moccamaster brings something a little different to the party. The lighter body and those beautiful, clean coffee notes work perfectly here in a way that might surprise you.
Don't knock it until you've tried it.
Ingredients
300ml filter coffee, brewed at normal strength and chilled
4 small eggs, separated
100g caster sugar
1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
250g good quality mascarpone
1 shot almond liqueur (optional)
2 packets lady fingers
Cocoa powder or grated chocolate for dusting
Method
Whisk the egg yolks, caster sugar and vanilla bean paste together until thick and pale and ribbons fall from the whisk, this will take around 5 minutes so use electric beaters unless you want a very good arm workout.
Add the mascarpone and fold in gently with a spatula until just combined. Don't overwork it.
In a separate clean bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks then fold carefully into the mascarpone mixture until smooth and airy.
Pour the chilled coffee into a shallow bowl. If using liqueur, add it to the coffee now and stir to combine.
Working one at a time, dip each lady finger into the coffee, turning so all sides are soaked. Don't linger, a quick dip and turn is all you need or they'll fall apart on you.
Layer the soaked lady fingers into the base of your serving dish or individual glasses. Spoon over a generous layer of the cream mixture. Repeat with another layer of soaked lady fingers and finish with a final layer of cream.
Dust generously with cocoa powder or grated chocolate.
Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours, overnight is better and the tiramisu will thank you for it.
Elliot's Tips
Chill your coffee completely before you start. Warm coffee will make your lady fingers fall apart before they even make it to the dish.
The dip and turn is everything. Too quick and the fingers are dry in the middle, too long and you'll have mush. A confident dip and turn is the move, you'll get a feel for it after the first few.
Quality mascarpone makes a real difference. This is not the place to go budget, a good mascarpone gives you a rich, stable cream that holds its layers beautifully.
Overnight is not optional if you're serving to guests. The layers meld together and the flavour deepens significantly. Four hours will do but overnight is a completely different level.
The Moccamaster really does work here. The cleaner, lighter brew means the coffee flavour supports rather than dominates, you get every layer of the tiramisu rather than just a hit of espresso.