This is a serious tiramisu question, pls reply only if you know?

Question

Every recipe I see says to line the bowl with 'ladyfingers' ... those type of biscuits are not available where I stay, can I substitute with sponge cake or crushed plain cookies, any ideas will be great. I have fresh brewed coffee and awesome mascrapone.

Answer 1

Homemade Lady Fingers **Recipe adapted from LaVarenne Practique Cookbook, by Anne Willan, published by Crown



Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Yield: 24 ladyfingers
User Rating:




2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sifted flour
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
4 egg whites, beaten until stiff
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 baking sheets with 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons of flour. Mark parallel lines in the flour across the width of the tray about 4 inches apart. Put the eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl, and with an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is pale yellow, thick, and has tripled in volume, about 8 minutes, using the mixer. Add the egg whites, remaining 3/4 cup flour, salt and vanilla, fold to mix thoroughly so the mixture is smooth. Fill a large pastry bag with a 3/4-inch plain tube with the mixture. Pipe fingers about 4 1/2-inches in length on to the baking sheet, using the lines as a guide. Dust the ladyfingers with powdered sugar. Bake until for 15 to 18 minutes, or until just firm on the outside and soft in the center




Episode#: EM1B50

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Chocolate Tiramisu
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis


Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 8 hours
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Yield: 12 servings
User Rating:


6 ounces container mascarpone cheese
2/3 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
Chocolate Zabaglione, recipe follows
2 1/2 cups espresso coffee, warmed
24 crisp ladyfinger cookies (recommended: Savoiardi)
Unsweetened cocoa powder, for garnish
Dark chocolate shavings, for garnish
Place the mascarpone cheese in a large bowl and set aside. With an electric mixer, beat the cream and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a medium bowl until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone. Then fold in the chilled Chocolate Zabaglione. Cover and refrigerate.
Whisk the warmed espresso and the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar in another medium bowl until blended. Line a 9 1/4 by 5 by 2 3/4-inch metal loaf pan with plastic wrap, allowing the plastic to extend over the sides. Working with 1 cookie at a time, dip 8 cookies into the espresso, and arrange in a single layer side by side over the bottom of the prepared pan.
Spoon 1/3 of the mascarpone mixture over the cookies to cover. Repeat dipping 8 of the cookies in the espresso and layering the cookies and remaining mascarpone mixture 2 more times. Dip the remaining 8 cookies in the espresso and arrange side by side atop the tiramisu. Press lightly to compact slightly (the last layer will extend above the pan sides). Cover the tiramisu with plastic and refrigerate at least 6 hours.
Unwrap the plastic from atop the tiramisu. Invert the tiramisu onto a platter. Remove the plastic. Sift the cocoa over the tiramisu, and with a vegetable peeler or sharp knife, make dark chocolate shavings and sprinkle over top.
Chocolate Zabaglione:
2 tablespoons whipping cream, or heavy cream
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
4 large egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup dry Marsala
Pinch salt
Add cream and chocolate to a heavy small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the chocolate chips are melted and smooth. Set aside and keep warm.
Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, Marsala, and salt in a large glass bowl until blended. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, but do not allow the bottom of the bowl to touch the water. Whisk the egg mixture over the simmering water until it is thick and creamy, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Using a large rubber spatula, fold the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Cover and refrigerate to chill completely.

Episode#: EI1C02
Raspberry Tiramisu
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis


Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 3 hours
Yield: 8 to 12 servings
User Rating:


1 cup seedless raspberry jam
6 tablespoons orange liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)
1 pound mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
28 soft ladyfingers or 2 (12-ounce) pound cakes, cut into 3 by 1 by 1 1/2-inch pieces
3 (1/2 dry pint) baskets fresh raspberries (about 3 3/4 cups total)
Confectioners' sugar, for serving
Stir the jam and 4 tablespoons of the orange liqueur in a small bowl to blend.
Combine the mascarpone and remaining 2 tablespoons of orange liqueur in a large bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream, sugar, and vanilla in another large bowl until soft peaks form. Using a large rubber spatula, stir 1/4 of the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture to lighten. Fold the remaining whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture.
Line the bottom of a13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish or other decorative serving dish with half of the ladyfingers. Spread half of the jam mixture over the ladyfingers. Spread half of the mascarpone mixture over the jam mixture, then cover with half of the fresh raspberries. Repeat layering with the remaining ladyfingers, jam mixture, mascarpone mixture and raspberries. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.
Dust with the confectioners' sugar and serve.

Episode#: EI1E13
Kahlua Tiramisu
Recipe courtesy


Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
User Rating:


12 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons Kahlua
18 soft lady fingers (available in the packaged-baked-goods section)
1 (8-ounce) container mascarpone cheese, softened
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 (4-ounce) containers refrigerated prepared vanilla pudding
6 teaspoons frozen non-dairy whipped topping, thawed
Cocoa powder
Line 6 (1-cup) glass custard cups with plastic wrap. Spoon 2 teaspoons Kahlua into each cup. Soak 3 lady fingers in each cup, turning to coat both sides. Arrange lady fingers around sides of cups. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk mascarpone, sugar, and remaining 2 tablespoons Kahlua until just smooth. Whisk in pudding. Divide pudding mixture equally among prepared cups. Cover tightly and refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes, or up to 1 day. Uncover cups. Invert cups onto plates and remove plastic wrap. Top with whipped topping and sprinkle with cocoa powder just before serving.

Episode#: SH1A02

Answer 2

A lot of different substitutions have been given, but since whatever you choose will be dipped in espresso, you'll want to choose a substitute that is closest in consistency to ladyfingers, something that will hold up in your recipe -- not something that will tear while assembling or mush up while it's chilling before serving. If so, you might as while serve it with a spoon, rather than slicing and plating it up for your guests!

I suggest day-old pound cake. Make it or purchase it, and then let it sit out in the air overnight. You need a semi-moist, dense product to soak up the espresso. Biscotti is too hard, angel food or sponge cake is too light and airy, crushed wafers won't layer nicely and chocolate cake won't soak and stay together.

I'm sure whatever you choose will taste heavenly -- it just depends on what you want your finished product to *look* like. Are you going for your own creation, or the look of traditional tiramisu?

Answer 3

I'll advise if you will enjoy a bite for me!!

By all means make a substitution. Buttery pound cake, angel food cake, sponge cake or broken (not really crushed) vanilla wafers would be a fine substitution. Chocolate cake would also taste heavenly, and be an original twist on an old favorite. You just need something to support the marscapone and soak up the liquor.

Answer 4

You can have fun and make your own. (Link provided below).

Lady fingers have a different consistency than sponge cake. It's more of a SHORTBREAD recipe (with flavor). If you wanted to do something in a pinch, you could improvise by making a biscuit mix with sugar, vanilla, and an added egg. Bake at a slightly lower temperature until cooked through (and relatively dry). It will be more like a short bread.

Answer 5

The sponge cake would be an acceptable substitute. Hell, i've seen it done with twinkies.

Or you could bake some yourself:
http://www.joyofbaking.com/Ladyfingers.html

Answer 6

when going by recipes in the kitchen the first rule is only use it as a guide line, the second is use ingreidients that you have or like, your the one eating it so be creative and use whatever substitutions you want, the worst thing that can happen is you have to try again but you can eat your misteak

Answer 7

Try Peak Freens..the rectangular ones with the fancy edging

Answer 8

You can use Biscotti.