(Tiramisù - Traditional recipe)

Time: preparation: 40 minutes 400 g (14 oz) sponge biscuits (lady-     fingers) 500 g (1,1 lb) mascarpone cheese 2 eggs 3 egg yolks 250 g (8 1/2 oz) icing sugar 300 ml (10 fl oz - 1 1/4 C) strong coffee 20 g (3/4 oz) powdered bitter cocoa easy recipe

  Spoon measures are American spoons, that is standard cook's measuring spoons used in USA.
  The best plan is to regard 2 American teaspoons or tablespoons as 1 English teaspoon or tablespoon (eating spoons)

This is one of the Italian cakes well known all over the world. We don't know in what region of Italy it was born; we know that is very tasty but rich in fat, unfortunately.

Prepare the mascarpone cream. Mascarpone is a soft cheese from Italy. Beat the eggs, egg yolks and icing sugar for a long time until you have a foamy mixture. You can also use an electric whisk. Add the mascarpone cheese with circular movements from the bottom upwards, using a wooden spoon.
Arrange half the biscuits on the bottom of a rectangular deep dish. Brush them with strong coffee without sugar, cover with half the mascarpone cream and level the surface. Add a second layer of biscuits, brush them with the remaining coffee and cover with the remaining mascarpone cream. Level the surface and sprinkle with the powdered bitter cocoa. Let the cocoa pass through a strainer.
Chill until serving.

Note
- The cake is tastier if you prepare it some hours before serving it. Use only new-laid eggs
  and new mascarpone if you want to preserve this cake not only for 24 hours.
- Somebody prefer to mix strong coffee with whisky. The quantity of whisky depends on your
  personal taste.
- Somebody prefer to cover the surface with grated pure chocolate (semi-sweet chocolate).
- Somebody also use whipped cream. In this case they make a third layer of biscuits and
  cover them with whipped cream; then they sprinkle with cocoa.
- You could prepare single portions (in little goblets) of this cake; in this ways you can also
  prepare some portions with decaffeinated coffee for people who don't like strong coffee
  (children included).

What's the right wine?
Our suggestion is: don't serve any sparkling wine. We prefer to serve a liquor after.

If you want to combine this dish with other ones for a complete menu,
consult our "Members-only Area".