Tiramisu

Last updated on February 23, 2019 by Liza Hawkins

This is a guest post by Susan Conley.

After getting your fill of pizza and pasta, the best way to cap off an Italian dining experience is to eat tiramisu. This is a favorite Italian dessert literally means “lift me up.”

It’s a dessert that you will love even if you are not fond of coffee. And it will really perk you up after enjoying a sumptuous meal.

What is tiramisu?

Tiramisu is a dessert is made of ladyfingers soaked in coffee and layered with mascarpone cheese, whipped cream and liqueur. With its fantastic blend of coffee, cocoa, cheese, and liqueur, it’s not surprising why tiramisu is one of the most popular desserts from Italy.

What is its taste?

Part of tiramisu’s global appeal is the concoction of flavors that it leaves in the mouth. It begins with the light pudding. It’s very light that you can compare it to whipped cream.

Once you bite the body of tiramisu, you’ll feel a rich, full flavor that explodes in your mouth. You’ll taste the rich aroma of strong coffee coming from the light and creamy lady fingers. And then you’ll notice the tantalizing hint of the liqueur.

Indeed, tiramisu’s diverse ingredients give it a distinct taste that makes it one of the most well-loved desserts today.

When and where was the tiramisu born?

There are many accounts on how the tiramisu was first concocted.

One story goes that it was invented by a confectioner by the name of Roberto Linguanotto in the 1960s. Linguanotto was said to have owned a restaurant named “Le Bechherie” in Treviso, Italy. The name tiramisu came from the maiden name of Linguanotto’s apprentice, Francesca Valori.

There’s also a claim made by Carminantonio Iannaconne, a pastry chef, who said that he cooked up the dessert sometime in 1969. The said dessert, Iannaconne claims, was the same dessert that was sold at Le Becccherie restaurant. According to him, it took two years for him to perfect the recipe.

There is also the story that tiramisu had been concocted as early as the 17th century. Legend has it that it was invented in Siena in the province of Tuscany. And it was created to coincide with the visit of the Grand Duke Cosimo de’Medici III, who brought the dessert with him to Florence.

Although I can’t really say what the true origin of tiramisu is, what I am sure of is that I love this dessert.

What’s the nutritional information?

Like most sweet treats, tiramisu is packed in calories. So you might want to think twice about indulging in this dessert if you are trying to lose weight.

How many calories can you get after eating a 3-ounce chunk of tiramisu? You will probably take in 240 to 300 calories although this can depend on the recipe used.

You can also get about 3 grams of protein for every slice of tiramisu.

The good news is that you don’t have to dine in a fancy Italian restaurant to be able to have your tiramisu fix.

Here’s a simple recipe that you can follow. It makes about nine servings. You will need around 30 minutes to prepare the ingredients and just 10 minutes to cook. You will then need at least four hours for refrigerating this dessert.

Although it is far from being a healthy food like raw vegan soup or cabbage juice, it cannot be denied that tiramisu is a dessert that you will have a hard time resisting. And I am sure your friends and family members won’t be able to say no when you serve them this homemade tiramisu.

About the author:

Dear my lovely friends, I’m Susan Conley — host of the blog cookthestone.com. Sharing useful information to you, readers, is my happiness–it’s this burning desire, along with passions for cooking and blogging, that led me to writing. So, it would be awesome to receive your comments and support!