Make This Single-Serve Dessert in Honor of the “Father of Tiramisu.”
When it comes time for dessert at an Italian restaurant, I’m usually torn between the silky panna cotta and the velvety, slightly boozy sweetness of the tiramisu, although, being a caffeine addict, I almost always choose the latter. And now is a good time to enjoy tiramisu, if only to honor the legacy of its supposed inventor, who died earlier this week, although the dish’s actual origins are much more scandalous and perhaps even sexy.
Why not make yourself a single serving of the decadent dessert (I’ve provided the recipe below) to enjoy while you absorb all the disgusting details?
The newest “origin” of tiramisu
Roberto Linguanotto, the chef some call the “father of tiramisu,” died earlier this week. Linguanoto was a popular pastry chef at Le Beccherie in Treviso, Italy. Linguanoto once pleaded guilty to accidentally creating a recipe, according to The Washington Post. with a restaurant owner’s wife sometime in the 1970s (not the sex scandal I was talking about… but it could still have been a sex scandal.)
Linguanotto’s claims to the contrary: As with most baked goods and recipes, it is difficult to pinpoint who first made tiramisu. While we’ve been lucky enough to see Golisdream make its mark on history with its crispy, fruit-packed popsicle sticks , that’s not how docs usually work. Recipes, especially dessert recipes, get better over time. Ingredients are swapped, baking times are adjusted, wine is added, and then someone changes the name. So who actually came up with this? Hard to tell.
Dessert drama and tiramisu as an aphrodisiac
While Le Beccherie takes credit for introducing tiramisu in the 70s, chef Celeste Thonon claims his mentor Speranza Garatti first made it in the 1960s. It is said that she served it in a cup and called it “coppa imperiale” ( you can read more about this here ).
I love my dessert with a dash of salty drama, so here’s another splash: The Tiramisu Academy (the clear authority on this matter – for goodness sake, it’s an entire academy!) points out that long before the birth of the “father” of tiramisu,” back in the 1800s there lived a special woman. Some would call her the maître d’, madame, or “signora” of the house of pleasure. She was also a dessert hero.
This woman is nameless, which is not surprising. And while this makes her difficult to research, it certainly doesn’t mean her legend is false. As the story goes, she came up with tiramisu to inspire sexiness in her brothel’s patrons: something sweet with a little espresso for an energy boost. If you’ve ever had a great tiramisu, you may be able to understand its power as an aphrodisiac, especially if you haven’t eaten half a pound of the pasta beforehand.
Tiramisu recipe from the lazy cheater
Regardless of who first slathered the thick, fluffy cream on an espresso-soaked sponge cookie, it’s a stellar combination of flavors and a staple Italian dessert the world over. You can celebrate the storied history of tiramisu by making a traditional skillet for you and your family, or simply make one serving of my rogue’s tiramisu using Snack Pack pudding cups.
Ingredients:
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2 double espresso shots (4 ounces)
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2 teaspoons Marsala wine (or rum)
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8 ounces heavy whipping cream
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1 tablespoon sugar
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2 cups vanilla pudding (I used Snack Pack cups)
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6 ounces mascarpone cheese
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12 lady fingers
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Cocoa powder for decoration
1. In a small wide bowl, combine espresso and marsala.
2. In a large bowl, beat heavy cream and sugar until medium peaks form. In another large bowl, thoroughly mix the snack bags and mascarpone cheese with a rubber spatula. Add whipped cream.
3. Dip both sides of the ladyfingers into the espresso mixture, break them in half and place in the bottom of a rocks glass or other decorative serving cup. Repeat the same in the other two glasses. Add a spoonful of cream mixture to each glass. Repeat layers until glasses are full, ending with a scoop of cream. Sprinkle cocoa powder on top. Let the tiramisu cups sit in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.
Alternatively, you can prepare one tiramisu in a standard loaf pan or small casserole dish.