Strawberry Tiramisu - Tiramisu alle fragole
Tiramisu in Italian means, “pick me up,” if you are feeling down maybe this famous Italian dessert will do the trick. By definition Tiramisu should only refer to the traditional recipe, however reality is people are making a lot of varieties with fruit and other ingredients. The fruit version is lighter and very refreshing especially during the summer. You should also try the Pineapple Tiramisu.
Ingredients:
4 large eggs*
2 cups Mascarpone cheese, don’t use substitutes
about 36 Savoiardi (lady fingers)
3/4 cup sugar
fresh strawberries for decoration
For the strawberries sauce
1 - 1/2 lbs. fresh strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water
Instructions:
1. In a sauce pan cook strawberries, sugar and water for few minutes until the sugar dissolves.
2. Pour the strawberries in a food processor and blend until smooth. Pass the strawberry sauce through a fine mesh strainer to eliminate the seeds. Set the sauce aside until cool.
3. In the meantime beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form and then refrigerate.
4. In a large bowl beat the egg yolks with the sugar until fluffy. Use an electric hand mixer or a food processor.
5. Add the mascarpone cheese to the egg yolk mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until well combined.
6. Gently fold the egg whites into the mascarpone mixture.
7. Dip both sides of the savoiardi into the the strawberry juice and place them in the cake dish (my dish is rectangular about 18″ x 10″). Cover the savoiardi with some extra spoons of sauce.
8. Spread half of the mascarpone cream over the ladyfingers then cover this layer with remaining ladyfingers always dipped in the strawberries sauce.
9. Complete the dish spreading the rest of the mascarpone cream.
10. Decorate with strawberries slices or if you prefer cut in half. Refrigerate for at least 6-7 hours, better yet overnight.
Notes:
The strawberry sauce is a little bit abundant but it depends on how big of a cake dish you use.
*If you are worried about the health risks from eating uncooked eggs I suggest that you ask your grocer for pasteurized eggs. I know that in the U.S. you can purchase them.
