What is #LCIchallenge? Each week we'll ask you to cook a specific Italian dish, an experience you can share with your family, friends, and loved ones so that we can all feel a bit closer during this uncertain time. Sharing the same dish from a distance is like sitting around a long virtual table, a temporary means of comfort until everyone can gather for a meal in person. It's not necessary to post the pic of your dish, we would ask you to share a collective photo of you at the table, when possible along with your family.
This week, our challenge is focused on Tiramisù! Make it with us, and share it on Instagram with #LCIchallenge!
The history of Tiramisu is directly connected with that of Le Beccherie, a historic restaurant in Piazza Ancillotto, in the city center of Treviso. It was there that the dessert was named for the first time in 1972, when Tiramisù appeared on the dessert menu of the restaurant. While Friuli and Veneto contend for the traditional recipe, on October 15, 2010 the notarized recipe of Tiramesù from Le Beccherie was filed with the Italian Academy of Cuisine.
The history and recipe
Its origins, however, date back to a few years earlier when the then-owner of the restaurant, Alba Campeol, was pregnant with her son Carlo. It was 1955. To help her young daughter-in-law regain strength, Alba’s mother-in-law would prepare her a hearty breakfast with zabaglione and coffee to fill her up with energy to face the many commitments of the day. As soon as she had weaned her son and returned to the restaurant’s kitchen, Alba decided to propose a new dessert inspired by that delicious breakfast, and together with the restaurant’s pastry chef Roberto Loli Linguanotto, began a long trial which ended precisely between 1971 and 1972.
A new venue, the museum
In 2010 the original recipe from Le Beccherie was notarized and filed with the Italian Academy of Cuisine. Today the restaurant is run by the owner Paolo Lai, with the pair of chefs Manuel Gobbo and Beatrice Simonetti in the kitchen, with a new atmosphere that recalls both a wine bar and new, more modern dishes. But the classic tiramisù has not changed, even if it’s no longer served in slices, but in rectangular portions. For the future, the Treviso entrepreneur also plans to build a permanent exhibition space dedicated to this dessert. “A sort of Tiramisù Museum, where visitors with a sweet tooth from all over the world can learn about the history and future of this dessert,” Paolo Lai explains.
Le Baccherie Tiramisu
Cakes, rectangles or cups
The original shape of tiramisù was circular and was served in wedges on a plate with the restaurant logo designed by Carlo Campeol made with cocoa power through a special stencil. The Tiramesù is still prepared according to the classic recipe, but is now served in rectangular slices. Or, for more whimsical clients, in glasses as single portions.
The recipe for the classic version
Ingredients: 12 egg yolks , 2 1/4 c. sugar , 2 lbs. 3 oz. mascarpone, 60 savoiardi biscuits (ladyfingers), coffee to taste, cocoa powder
Directions: Brew the coffee and leave it to cool in a bowl. Whisk the egg yolks into a foam with the sugar, and stir in the mascarpone to obtain a soft cream. Dip 30 savoiardi biscuits in the coffee, being careful not to soak them for too long, then place them in a line in the middle of a circular plate. Spread half of the cream over the ladyfingers and then add another layer of 30 savoiardi biscuits soaked in the coffee, and lastly spread the surface with the remaining mascarpone cream. Sift cocoa powder above the mascarpone. Place it in the fridge until ready to serve.
Cover picture by Beatrice Prada and Giandomenico Frassi