The secret to Nonna's famous Tiramisu ⋆ Pochi ma Buoni
PHOTO CREDIT: Pochi ma Buoni, Silver Compass Tours
The secret in making a really good tiramisu is using fresh local ingredients, and here in Orange we are so so lucky to have the best of everything at our doorstep – we get our eggs straight from the farm.
We had a fairly action-packed 2016 Orange F.O.O.D Week festival in April, with 60 guests joining us for our ‘wine-tasting evening with a difference’ in the Cargo Road Wines cellar. This was swiftly followed by a cooking demonstration class for 50 people at F.O.O.D HQ, where Paolo shared his Nonna’s secrets to making amazing Tiramisu.
The secret in a good Tiramisu is using fresh local ingredients, and here in Orange we are so so lucky to have the best of everything at our doorstep. We get our eggs straight from the farm, from our friends at Hillside Harvest in Borenore, and the other main ingredients are espresso coffee (we get ours from the Orange Roasting Co made by Bills Beans Specialty Coffee Roasters, available at The Agrestic Grocer) and dark chocolate – Matt from Origin Organic Chocolate has to be one of our favourite locals, my gosh he makes incredible chocolate!
sourcing eggs straight from the farm at Hillside Harvest
Paolo letting everyone into Nonna's secrets at F.O.O.D HQ
the famous Tiramisu!
So just in case you couldn’t make it along, here’s the recipe to give it a whirl yourself. The secret is all in the eggs, get them as fresh and organic as you possibly can. And if you’re about to use instant coffee for this recipe, step away from the kitchen…
TRADITIONAL ITALIAN TIRAMISU MADE WITH FRESH, LOCAL AUSTRALIAN INGREDIENTS
Legend has it that this dish was created in Siena in the 1600s for the Grand Duke Cosimo III de’Medici – a gentleman with a sweet tooth who was also very fond of the ladies. Tiramisu translates as ‘pick me up’ and was originally viewed as an aphrodisiac.
Buon appetito ;0)
INGREDIENTS
6 farm fresh eggs from Hillside Harvest or The Farm Gate / Agrestic Grocer
500g mascarpone
130g sugar
1 tsp salt
1 packet Savoiardi biscuits
Organic cacao
Dark chocolate from Origin Organic Chocolate
Freshly roasted espresso coffee from Orange Roasting Co (single origin)
METHOD
Fire up your stovetop espresso maker, then separate the yolks from the whites for your eggs and reserve in separate bowls. If you want a fluffy Tiramisu cream that tastes like eating clouds, you need the freshest eggs possible. Paolo sources his straight from the farm at Hillside Harvest.
Beat the egg yolks together with a couple of teaspoons of sugar, then set aside. Add a teaspoon of salt to the egg whites, then whip them with the remaining sugar until a meringue consistency. Now add in the egg yolk mixture and stir, then slowly add in the mascarpone. To build your Tiramisu, lightly soak the Savoiardi biscuits (you can find these at your local Italian deli or Harris Farm Markets) in the coffee before placing them as a layer in a rectangular glass dish.
Cover this first layer with the cream mixture, then grate dark chocolate to cover. Make another layer of biscuits soaked in coffee, cover with the cream mixture and grated chocolate. Slice up in generous Italian-style portions to plate, then dust with cacao and serve. Enjoy!
