As part of our Rome series, Essteele has identified some beloved recipes that typify many a Roman Nonna's kitchen - and are often a fixture of the Eternal City's classic and contemporary restaurants.
There is no substitute for one of Rome's most iconic desserts, this orange-hued delicacy is a mainstay on any Italian menu.
Chocolate orange tiramisu
Makes 6
Ingredients
- 12 savoiardi (ladyfinger) or Pavesini biscuits
- 100ml (31/2fl oz) Grand Marnier, rum or brandy,
- 200ml (7fl oz) orange juice
- 100ml (31/2fl oz) cold water
- 8 tablespoon orange marmalade
- 50g (2oz) dark chocolate
For the chocolate custard
(makes 500ml/17 fl oz)
- 500 ml (17 fl oz) whole milk
- 1/2 vanilla pod or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 egg yolks
- 30g (1 oz) cornflour (corn starch)
- 50g (2 oz 1/4 cup) caster sugar
- 100g (3 1/2 oz) dark chocolate (min. 70% cocoa solids), broken into small pieces
For the mascarpone cream
- 250g (9oz) mascarpone
- 25g (1 oz/1/4 cup) icing sugar
- 4 egg whites
Method
- First, make the chocolate custard:
- Heat milk and vanilla over medium heat until bubbles form on the surface.
- Meanwhile, beat together the egg yolks, cornflour and sugar with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add a ladleful of hot milk to the mixture and whisk immediately.
- Pour back into the pan containing the rest of the milk and bring to a gentle boil while stirring with a wooden spoon. As soon as it thickens, remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until melted, then transfer the custard to a cold bowl.
- Cover the surface of the custard with cling film or damp baking parchment to prevent a skim from forming. Allow to cool. When cooled discard the vanilla pod.
- To make the mascarpone cream, beat the mascarpone and icing sugar together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.
- Add a couple of heaped tablespoons of egg whites to the mascarpone and whisk it in to loosen the mixture. Fold in the rest of the egg whites with a large metal spoon until you have a light, frothy cream. Set aside.
To assemble the tiramisu.
- Soak the biscuits one by one in a mixture of your chosen alcohol and orange juice; then hold the biscuit vertically and squeeze out the excess liquid before placing it on a plate. Halve the biscuits, then put a single layer in the bottom of six glass tumblers.
- Spread some of the marmalades over the biscuits, followed by a layer of chocolate custard and a layer of mascarpone.
- Repeat until all the ingredients have been used, ending with the mascarpone.
- Chill for at least an hour and up to overnight. To serve, grate over the chocolate.
- Recipe courtesy of Rome: Centuries in an Italian Kitchen by Katie and Giancarlo Caldesi (Hardie Grant) available from Telegraph Books