The Grossi family is behind some of Melbourne’s most iconic restaurants, including Italian dining institution Florentino, which first opened on Bourke Street in 1928, as well as nearby Grill and Cellar Bar.
“This tiramisu recipe is the same one we’ve been making for years,” says chef and restaurateur Guy Grossi. “It doesn’t use cream like some do but instead gets its light, luxurious cream from a mix of mascarpone and Italian meringue ... We use Strega and sambuca [liqueurs] and espresso freshly extracted from the machine.”
Grossi says the tiramisu is so popular it draws people into his restaurants just for dessert.
It’s one of several handmade dishes now available on Grossi A Casa, a new online grocer with ready-made meals by Grossi and Chris Rodriguez (Florentino’s executive chef); fresh produce; pantry staples; and more. The recipe serves 12, so it’s perfect for your next family meal.
Grossi Family Tiramisu
Serves: 12
Cooking time: 2–3 hours in fridge
Preparation time: 1.5 hours
Ingredients:
Sugar syrup
250g caster sugar
250ml water
Mascarpone
2 egg yolks
125g caster sugar
1kg mascarpone
30ml Strega liqueur
30ml Sambuca
350ml espresso
48 Pavesini biscuits
200g crushed 70% dark chocolate pieces
2 tbsp dark cocoa powder
Meringue
6 egg whites
375g caster sugar
80ml water
Method:
To make the sugar syrup, combine the sugar and water in a pot. Bring to the boil on a moderate heat. Remove from heat, allow to cool and set aside.
For the tiramisu, mix 2 egg yolks with sugar until creamy and pale. Whisk in mascarpone and Strega and Sambuca for about 2 minutes until the mixture is thick like piping cream – about 2 minutes. Put aside.
For the meringue, place the sugar, water and a food thermometer in a pot over medium heat. Once the mix is getting close to 115°C, start whisking the egg whites in a mixer. The whites should be frothy when the sugar has reached temperature. At that point, slowly pour the syrup into the mixer in a thin stream, whisking on a high. Whisk for five minutes after the syrup has been poured in.
Mix the espresso into the sugar syrup and warm slightly. Soak the biscuits a few at a time in the mixture. Line the bottom and sides of a 24cm springform cake tin or ceramic bowl with the soaked biscuits. Sprinkle half the chopped chocolate over the biscuits.
Fold the meringue into the mascarpone mixture and place about half into the prepared tin or bowl, on top of the biscuits. Make another layer of soaked biscuits, sprinkle over the remaining chocolate and cover with the rest of the mascarpone mixture. Smooth the top and cover with dark cocoa powder.
Refrigerate for 2–3 hours and serve.
This is an extract from The Broadsheet Italian Cookbook, which features 80 recipes from Australia's best restaurants, cafes and bars. Available now at shop.broadsheet.com.au.
