Best-Ever Tiramisu

Break away from the usual Thanksgiving pumpkin pie! Everyone will go bonkers for this dessert at any holiday occasion. There are many recipes for Tiramisu, but this one’s exceptionally good. I brought it to a dinner party last night, with raves all ’round. This Tiramisu weighs six pounds (2.7 kg)! to which husband Ron said: “Tell our hosts it’s a pound cake.”

Best-Ever Tiramisu

Tiramisu has about six million calories per serving, but I like love (!) this fancy dessert. I don’t have a clue who “Chef Dennis” is, but he was kind enough to put this decadent recipe online, upon which I modified it. 

Afraid there wouldn’t be “enough,” I doubled it and tinkered with the method, making more than “enough” for the eight people who gathered ’round our hosts’ table. You may want to cut this dish in half, as Chef Dennis did, though you don’t want to be caught short, either. Seconds and thirds were the order of the night, with everyone taking some home to polish off at breakfast.

Very, very important: Before you begin, read and follow every word of this recipe - including the all-important Notes. Prepare Tiramisu at least six hours before serving; I made mine 12 hours in advance, though  leaving it overnight would have been even better.

Best-Ever Tiramisu

12 large egg yolks (approx. 1 c. or 250 mL yolks), room temperature (see Egg Yolk Note) 

2 c. (500 mL) granulated sugar

2-1/2 c. (560 mL) mascarpone cheese, room temperature (see Mascarpone Note)

3-1/2 c. (875 mL) heavy cream (aka “whipping cream”)

Two 7 oz. (two 200 g) pkgs Italian ladyfingers, Savoiardi-style (See Ladyfinger Note)

2 c. (500 mL) cold espresso or strong black coffee (see Espresso Note)

1 c. (250 mL) coffee-flavored liqueur (see Booze Note)

1-to-2 tbsp. (15-to-30 mL) unsweetened cocoa, sieved for dusting.

Have all ingredients (except whipped cream) assembled and measured before starting. Follow directions precisely. Preparing this dessert took me 90 min. - but the result was worth the effort. And so to start!

Combine egg yolks and sugar in the top of a double boiler, mixing constantly with wire whisk. As soon as water comes to boil, reduce heat to low. Scrape down sides of double boiler or medium-sized metal bowl as you continue to whisk constantly over low heat, about 10 min. 

Have patience! Constant whisking will get you there ...

Remove from heat,  continuing to whisk yolk-sugar mixture until thick and lemon-colored. Cool 2-to-3 min. at room temperature. Fold mascarpone into whisked yolks until well combined. 

Thickened and pale, at last!

In separate bowl, whip cream to stiff peaks, using wire whisk attachment of electric mixer. Gently fold whipped cream into the marscapone-egg mixture. Set aside. 

After mascarpone, fold in whipped cream.

Mix cold espresso with coffee liqueur. Dip ladyfingers into mixture just long enough to get them wet: Don’t dunk or soak them. Using half of ladyfingers, line bottom of ungreased 9 x 13 x 2-in. or 3 qt. dish (Metric size 33 x 23 x5 cm). 

Spoon half egg-mascarpone-cream mixture over ladyfinger base. (Think this recipe takes too long?) See:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__VQX2Xn7tI

Repeat: Another layer of ladyfingers, another layer of cream. 

Take care to spread cream right to the edges of
espresso-liqueur dipped ladyfingers. 

Refrigerate at least 6 hr. Dust with sieved cocoa. Given an hour or two, cocoa will turn a gorgeous shade of dark chocolate. Leave in fridge until just before slicing. Makes 12 huge servings. H-U-G-E. 

Double Boiler Note: Double boilers aren’t as common as they once were, but having one is essential for this recipe. If you don’t have a double boiler, positioning a large metal bowl over a pot of boiling water will do the trick.

Egg Yolk Note: This recipe requires 12 egg yolks. Separating the yolks from the whites can be tricky. My “three bowl” method is foolproof. Cracking the shell against the rim of bowl #1, cushion the yolk in your hand, allowing the whites to trickle into the bowl through your slightly open fingers. Transfer the white into bowl #2. Place the yolk into bowl #3. Repeat until all whites and yolks have been separated. If a yolk breaks or you accidentally combine a yolk and a white, you’ve messed up with just one egg rather than the entire batch. I freeze the whites in quantities of six, later using them in Pavlova.

Mascarpone Note: Buy the best mascarpone you can afford - preferably Italian. It will taste better and be creamier than the cheaper stuff.

Ladyfinger Note: Be sure to buy only Savoiardi-style (sturdy Italian-style) ladyfingers. The softer, cake-style ladyfingers will fall apart when they’re dipped into the coffee mixture. Prepared exactly as specified, the ladyfingers in this lovely desert will magically become cake.

Espresso Note: Regular coffee is too weak. I’ve had great success using coffee pods, reducing the amount of water your single-serve pod machine dispenses. I’ve also had great success using instant coffee granules with a small amount of boiling water. Expect to use 5 or 6 coffee pods or about 8 tsp. instant coffee to 1 c. boiling water for the espresso this recipe calls for. You’ll have a little coffee/liqueur mixture left over, but that’s just fine; you don’t want to run short, possibly breaking the delicate ladyfingers as you try to get the last few precious drops. Adding a little of the extra coffee/liqueur mixture to regular coffee makes a welcoming holiday brew.

Booze Note: This recipe is so generous that you can easily omit the alcohol by making one or two servings in a small pan. Knowing who drinks and who’d prefer not to will make this Tiramisu an even greater success than it already is. If everyone’s a teetotaler, omit the alcohol altogether. This excellent dessert will be every bit as good.

A Word About Garlic

The holiday season: What to stuff in those stockings? The answer is a flexible silicone garlic peeler.

Works like a dang! Fast and efficient! Costs somewhere between $5 and $10 (Mine was $7). Simply toss the unpeeled cloves inside and ro-o-oll this gizmo under your palms and outstretched fingers. The garlic peels will fall off in seconds and the lucky recipient will thank you for this great time-saver - and will mean it!

If you don’t have a garlic peeler, bashing the cloves with the flat end of a heavy knife or cleaver will also loosen the peel - though not as well as a garlic peeler.

Another bit of advice: Buy the best local garlic you can afford. The cheap, already-peeled offshore stuff is not a bargain. It’s flavorless, adding nothing to your food. So run - don’t walk - to your nearest kitchen store. You’ll thank me, too! Yer welcome ...

Super-Fast Lemon-Roasted Potatoes

Get ready for a quick and delicious dinner, as shown in the photo below! I made the easy Lemon-Mustard Sauce slightly before frying the snapper and steaming the broccoli as the Lemon-Roasted Potatoes crisped in the oven. The recipe for that sauce is immediately below this one. Check the Index under Sauces to find it, next time. In future, check under Side Dish: Potatoes to find this recipe, too. 

Lemon-Roasted Potatoes can take up to an hour in the oven. Using mini-potatoes, my convection oven recipe takes just a few minutes. Doubling or tripling this recipe won’t take much more ... these potatoes are truly super-fast! 

Super-Fast Lemon-Roasted Potatoes:

1-1/2 lb. (0.6 kg) mini-potatoes, halved but not peeled

3 tbsp. (45 mL) olive oil

1 lemon, juiced and zested

1/4 tsp. (1.25 mL) salt

Pinch oregano

Dash freshly ground black pepper

Preheat convection oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly scrub mini-potatoes. Slice in half, leaving peel on. Precook about 2-1/2 min. in lightly salted water at a gentle boil. Drain well, blotting dry.

Place halved potatoes in medium bowl. Add olive oil, lemon juice, and zest, tossing to coat. Season with salt, oregano, and pepper; toss again.

Spread potatoes in single layer in roasting pan. In a convection oven, roast potatoes until tender and golden brown, turning occasionally, 12-to-15 min. Serves 2.

Super-Fast Lemon-Roasted Potatoes

Lemon-Mustard Sauce

This Lemon-Mustard Sauce is the perfect accompaniment to snapper, cod, tilapia, halibut, or any other white fish or vegetables that needs a flavor lift. For a color lift, I garnish this velvety sauce with a little parsley or finely sliced green onion. 

Lemon-Mustard Sauce:

2 tbsp. (30 mL) butter or margarine

2 tbsp. (30 mL) all-purpose) flour

½ tsp. (2.5 mL) salt

⅛ tsp. (0.5 mL) pepper

1 c. (250 mL) hot water

1 tsp. (5 mL) prepared mustard (yellow ballpark mustard)

Grated peel and juice of ½ fresh lemon

½ c. (125 mL) mayonnaise

In a saucepan, melt butter. Remove from heat; stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Gradually blend in hot water and mustard. Cook over medium heat, stirring until thickened. Add lemon peel and juice. Remove from heat; blend in mayonnaise. Makes about 1-⅓ cups.

Lemon-Mustard Sauce

Black Bean and Chickpea Salad

Seven months??? Have I really not blogged for seven months??? How decadent! The fact is, I was totally traumatized by the failure of the Orange Sponge Cake I blogged all those months ago. The other fact is, my husband’s been doing the cooking because I’ve been wildly busy.

“Doing wot?” you ask. What’s on My Mind? So there’s your answer!

Today’s excellent recipe comes from friends (and chefs extraordinaires) George and Linda Froehlich, of Vancouver, Canada. As many cooks do, I made some changes to George and Linda’s recipe: This is how recipes evolve to become “yours.” That’s the great thing about cooking! You’re in charge! 

You’ll find George and wife Linda on Facebook at George’s Kitchen: https://www.facebook.com/georgeskitchennow/

Black Bean and Chickpea Salad:

This recipe requires extra time 

for marination

To Prepare the Salad:

1 - 19 fl. oz. (540 mL) can black beans 

1 - 19 fl. oz. (540 mL) can chickpeas

6 cherry tomatoes (the same or different colours), halved (see Tomato Note)

1/4 each orange, red, green bell peppers, seeded and diced (see Bell Pepper Note)

1 sweet white onion, diced (see Onion Note)

3 cloves of garlic, minced

Rinse black beans and chickpeas in cold water, draining well. Add beans, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic cloves, and onion, mixing carefully to keep tomatoes intact. Immediately add dressing, tossing carefully. 

To Prepare the Dressing:

4 tbsp. (60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsp. (30 mL) apple cider vinegar

Salt and pepper, to taste

Combine olive oil and cider vinegar, pouring over mixture. Season to taste, mixing well. Cover and refrigerate overnight, to blend flavors. 

George and Linda’s Black Bean and Chickpea Salad

This salad keeps two or three days, covered and refrigerated. After that, give it the shove as you would house guests who over-stay their welcome. 

Tomato Note: I used 12 cherry tomatoes as a “pop” of color.

Bell Pepper Note: George and Linda’s recipe doesn’t use bell peppers. If you’d prefer to leave the peppers out, do!

Onion Note: The mild taste of sweet white onions is great, but I decided to zip things up by substituting 3 tbsp. (15 mL) finely sliced green onions (“Spring onions”).

Orange Sponge Cake

I haven’t blogged for awhile because I’ve been doing other things. But in the stainless steel kitchens of Nicole Parton’s Favorite Recipes, numerous readers (okay ... my sister) have suggested begged on bended knee that I resume blogging. 

Ron hasn’t tasted my cooking in a quite awhile, mainly because I haven’t done any.

“I wish you’d return to blogging recipes!” Flattery will get you everywhere, even if my skills are a little rusty. So today, a lovely Orange Sponge Cake! 

I can’t be sure - and nor can you - if that’s a threat or a promise. Ahhh, Dollinks ... Be careful what you wish for.   

- Nicole

Unbaked in the middle ...

... This is what remained when I lifted the cake from the rack.

Sourdough Biscuits

As much as you may want to make this recipe right away, you’ll have to wait until your Sourdough Starter is two weeks old.  

Sourdough Biscuits

Recipe for Sourdough Starter, below

1/3 c. (80 mL) canola oil or butter, softened

1 c. (250 mL) all-purpose flour

2 tsp. (2 mL) baking powder

1/4 tsp. (1.25 mL) salt

1/4 tsp. (1.25 mL) baking soda

Preheat oven to 425 deg. F. Add oil or butter to sourdough starter, combining well. To a separate bowl, add flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Add to sourdough oil mixture, stirring well. Knead 1 min. on floured board. Pat or roll dough with floured hands or pin to approximately 1-in. thickness. Slice into squares, allowing to rest 10 min. Dough will be soft. Bake 12-to-15 min. with rack in center position.

Sourdough Starter:

See https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/7160/herman-sourdough-starter/ and follow the instructions precisely.

One Again, with Feeling Note: You’ll need to wait two weeks before you can use this starter. No metal utensils or bowls! This terrific recipe is worth the wait. Although this starter contains sugar, I’ve found it excellent in making these buns.

Further Note: Thank you, allrecipes.com! Your site’s Sourdough Starter recipe is precisely tailored to today’s standard packet of granulated yeast containing 2-1/4 tsp. (7 g).

Leek and Mushroom Risotto

Allow me to waddle over to my computer to tell you about this gorgeous dish. I ate far too much of it last night, and what I want to do now is slather it over my entire 

body. Although this is a bona fide gourmet dish, it’s not difficult to make. The recipe comes via Dee Carthy of Bowral, NSW, who got it from former chef Marion Veigel of Sydney, whose mother is my pal Lyn Keane, also of Sydney. Dee worked out most of the proportions; I worked out the rest. 

“Risotto Scandal Ensnares Gluttonous Blogger!”

Read my Notes before you start to cook. This recipe makes a generous amount. You can always cut it in half, but I’d advise you not to double it. Doing so would require a massive pan and a massive stove-top seen only in restaurants. 

Leek and Mushroom Risotto:

1/4 c. (60 mL) olive oil, divided

5-1/2 c. (1.3 L by volume; 400 g by weight) sliced, fresh mushrooms (see Mushroom Note)

1 large or 3 medium leeks (white part only), thinly sliced into rounds

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1-1/2 c. (350 mL) arborio rice (see Rice Note)

1 c. (250 mL) dry white wine

Approx. 4 c. (950 mL-to-1 L) vegetable or chicken stock

1/4 tsp. (1.25 mL) salt, or to taste (see Salt Note)

2 tbsp. (30 mL) butter or margarine

1 c. (250 mL) finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese

Cooked prawns (optional), added and heated with the risotto just before serving 

Prepare and array all ingredients in advance of cooking. See Skillet Note). So let’s get moving!

Rinse and drain rice. To large skillet on medium-high heat, add 2 tbsp. (30 mL) olive oil, heating to just below spitting point. Add mushrooms, leeks, and garlic, immediately lowering heat and stirring constantly until soft and no liquid remains. 

Sauté mushrooms, leeks, and garlic.

Transfer veggies to bowl.

To same unwashed skillet, add remaining 2 tbsp. (30 mL) olive oil. Add rice when oil is hot, stirring constantly until rice becomes oil-coated. Add wine all at once, deglazing skillet with rice still in it. Lower heat to medium, continuing to stir until rice absorbs most of wine. 

Heat stock in separate container. Reduce heat under skillet to medium-low as you add a portion of hot stock to skillet. I generally add 3/4-to-1 c. (180-to-250 mL) stock for each addition. Add too much at one time, and your risotto will be gummy. Add too little, and it will be hard. Gently 

cook and stir until rice absorbs most or all of liquid in skillet. 

You’ll want to continue adjusting stove-top heat as risotto cooks - not too high, not too low, but j-u-st right. You’ll get the hang of this as you add liquid, stir, reduce liquid, and repeat the process.

The secret to cooking a successful risotto is “low and slow.” Cook and stir 20-to-25 min., judging stock additions accordingly. 

Stir gently but thoroughly until rice absorbs almost all liquid. Repeat this step until rice reaches desired tenderness, absorbing most or all hot stock. Stir in reserved mushroom-leek-garlic mixture; heat through and season to taste. 

Add butter or margarine and freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino. Serve at once. Yields 8-to-10 portions as a side dish. Serves 6 as a main dish with (optional) poultry, pork, seafood or (prepared meatless and with vegetable broth) as a vegetarian meal. 

Mushroom Note: Brush mushrooms clean; don’t wash them. Give larger mushrooms a cross-cut after slicing them vertically, leaving them slightly bigger than bite-sized. They’ll shrink as they cook; you won’t want to make them too small. 

Rice Note: Don’t even think about substituting another type of rice in this recipe. Risotto requires arborio rice!) 

Salt Note: Taste before you serve! Today’s commercially made stock is often unsalted. Adding a pinch of salt to your risotto makes a big flavor difference. 

Skillet Note: Use a wide, deep skillet to make this recipe. The base diameter of mine is 10-1/2 in. (26.5 cm), flaring to 13-1/2 in. (34 cm) at the top. This skillet size is exactly perfect for a risotto recipe of this size. To make the full recipe in anything smaller is to court disaster! A wok’s narrow base will not produce satisfactory results.

Great ingredients make great risotto!

Heat olive oil in unwashed skillet. Add

arborio rice. Deglaze pan with wine.

Return mushroom mixture to skillet. Gradually
add hot stock to rice-and-mushroom mixture.

Add butter and finely grated cheese.

For more risotto recipes and one for Paella, check out One Click: Risotto and Paella.

Triple-Ginger Cookies

These cookies are soft, puffy, and perfectly spiced. I’m ashamed to say that when Ron baked these, I ate 10 of the first batch. Which is why my hips are larger than Texas, but let’s not go there, Dollinks ...

Triple-Ginger Cookies:

3/4 c. (180 mL) butter or margarine, softened

1 c. (250 mL) demerara (i.e., dark brown) sugar, packed

1 egg

1/4 c. (60 mL) molasses
2-1/4 c. (560 mL) flour  
1-1/2 tbsp.(22 mL) freshly grated ginger

1 tsp. ground ginger 
1-1/2 tsp. (7.5 mL) cinnamon
1/2 tsp. (10 mL) nutmeg
2 tsp. (10 mL) baking soda

1/2 tsp. (2.5 mL) salt

1 c. (250 mL) crystallized ginger, chopped (see Note)

1/4 c. (60 mL) granulated sugar, or as needed 

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. Spray-grease large cookie sheet or cover with parchment paper. Set aside. Combine butter and demerara sugar in large bowl, beating with electric mixer until fluffy. Add egg and molasses, continuing to beat until well blended.

To medium bowl, add flour, spices, baking soda, and salt, combining thoroughly. Stir in crystallized ginger. Gradually add flour-mixture to butter-sugar mixture, mixing just until blended. Cover and refrigerate 1 hr. To small bowl, add granulated sugar, setting aside until needed. 

Working assembly-style, roll dough into 1-1/4 in. (3 cm) balls - no need to set on cookie sheets yet. Gently roll in granulated sugar, coating entire surface of ball. Set balls 2 in. (5 cm) apart on prepared cookie sheet.

Bake 12-to-13 min., or until tops of cookies are puffed and start to crack. Do not over-bake. Cool on cookie sheet 1 or 2 min. before transferring to wire racks to cool thoroughly. These cookies freeze well. Makes 2-1/2 dozen.

Note: If you don’t have crystallized ginger, add a little extra sugar to this recipe.

Peanut Sriracha Salad Dressing

Terrific! That’s what this interesting salad dressing is! My supermarket passed it along on a package of coleslaw. I find its strong Asian influence a perfect blend for something new. 

Tip: Don’t substitute another hot sauce for the sriracha, because you’ll wonder what all the hoopla’s about. Billed as one of the world’s most potent hot sauces, the sriracha elevates these everyday ingredients to a magical combination! Messing with perfection is never a wise idea (I neither solicit nor receive and gratuities or freebies for saying this). 

The salad? Here’s what I did, but anything you throw together will work just fine. To loose leaf lettuce, I added a small amount of coleslaw (for color), 1 mandarin orange (peeled and sectioned, with the sections cut in half), roughly 1/3 c. (80 mL) cherry tomatoes (sliced into halves or thirds), and a generous handful of parsley (stems removed). This, I tossed with enough dressing until the leaves glistened. Wow, was this salad ever delicious!

Peanut Sriracha Salad Dressing:

1/4 c. (60 mL) smooth or creamy peanut butter

1/4 c. (60 mL) rice vinegar

2 tbsp. (30 mL) soy sauce

2 tbsp. (30 mL) canola oil

1 tbsp. (15 mL) sesame oil

1 tbsp. (15 mL) honey

1 tsp. (5 mL) sriracha hot sauce

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Refrigerate until needed. Makes 1 cup (250 mL).