Tiramisu is so good it's hard to concede at Christmas, even after a culinary tour de force like the one you normally do at this time of year. Naturally, tradition comes first, so there’s panettone, pandoro, struffoli, nougat and you name it we have it. But for those who have an unbridled passion for this dessert, why not make a Christmas tiramisu.
Christmas tiramisu with pandoro or panettone
The simplest and most immediate idea to combine tradition with the love for tiramisu is to use pandoro or panettone as a base instead of savoiardi. The preparation is very similar to that of tiramisu. You just need to reduce by a third the doses of sugar (3 oz instead of 4 oz) and by half the eggs (3 instead of 6). The mascarpone, however, remains unchanged at 1 lb. The only other trick is to be careful when soaking the pandoro or panettone, as they are very spongy desserts and tend to absorb coffee more quickly. For the mascarpone cream beat the yolks with half the sugar, until you get a clear and frothy mixture. Add the mascarpone and stiffly whipped egg whites to the rest of the sugar. Cut the pandoro or panettone into horizontal slices of about 2 cm each and create the dessert. Once finished, sprinkle with the bitter cocoa.
Chestnut and marron glacé cream, explosion of joy for the palate
Those worried about their figure will put their hands in their hair because this version of tiramisu with chestnut cream is totally irresistible. But surely at Christmas anything goes! In a bowl mix 9 oz of chestnut cream with 9 oz of mascarpone cream, remembering to add the whisked egg whites. Soak the savoiardi biscuits in coffee or, in this case, in orange and clementine juice flavored with Cointreau. Make the layers, starting with the savoiardi, remembering to sprinkle with a handful of chopped marron glacé before proceeding to the next layer. Once finished, put in the fridge for at least one hour before serving.
White and red with berries, the colors of Christmas
A lighter version that elicits the colors of Christmas is that of the berry tiramisu. In a bowl, mix 5 oz of mascarpone and 2 oz of powdered sugar. Gradually incorporate 5 oz of whipped cream. In a saucepan put 11 oz of berries with 3 oz of sugar, cook for a few minutes and let cool. Add ½ cup of water and the juice of half a lemon and cook until the sugar has completely dissolved. Use the syrup obtained to quickly soak the savoiardi biscuits and form the first layer, cover with the cream, sprinkle with half of the berries and then do the second layer. Again, before serving the dessert, leave it in the fridge for at least an hour.
