L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 24 L'Italo-Americano I f you consider Italy's ancient culinary tra- d i t i o n , i t ' s q u i t e astonishing that the recipe for tiramisù is not 500 years old. I actu- a l l y r e m e m b e r m y f i r s t tiramisù, when it became popular in the early 1980s. Classic coffee tiramisù had just been created in a small restaurant in Treviso and by n o w i t m u s t b e t h e m o s t beloved Italian dessert in the world. I h a v e t a s t e d ( o r h a v e tried to avoid) many varia- tions of tiramisù at endless birthday parties and all sort of eateries. However, I have never found one suitable to winter that would retain the spirit of the original recipe. This is my autumn/winter version, made with pears poached in spiced wine, which is a traditional peas- LETIZIA MATTIACCI ant dessert in the North of Italy, especially in Piemonte. I h a v e a d a p t e d t h e Piemontese recipe by cook- ing the pears in our local Sagrantino wine, a robust red, made in the Montefalco area in Umbria. The resulting syrup has deep fruity undertones and makes a fabulous sauce to drizzle over the ladyfingers. For the mascarpone cream I h a v e u s e d V i n S a n t o , a n Umbrian dessert wine made with partially dried grapes. You can obviously use other wine combinations, both red and white. Each wine will impart a different character to the dessert. I n g r e d i e n t s ( 8 - 9 s e r v - ings) 16 lady fingers 2 5 0 g ( 1 / 2 l b ) m a s c a r - pone 500 ml (1 pint) chilled whipping cream 2 egg yolks 3 tablespoon Vin Santo or other white dry dessert wine 120 g (1/2 cup) sugar 3 cooking pears 1 cinnamon stick zest of 1 lemon juice of 1/2 lemon 4 cloves 1/2 lt (2 cups) red wine 1 teaspoon ground cinna- mon To poach the pears: Peel, core and halve the p e a r s , s o t h a t t h e y w i l l a b s o r b t h e f l a v o r s o f t h e s p i c e d w i n e . P l a c e t h e m tightly against each other in a s t a i n l e s s - s t e e l p a n a n d cover with the red wine. Add 1/4 of a cup of sugar, the lemon zest and spices, and poach with the lid on until j u s t t e n d e r . R e m o v e t h e pears from the liquid and dice into 1 cm (1/ 2 inch) pieces. Add the lemon juice to the wine syrup and set aside to cool. To make the mascarpone cream: Beat the egg yolks and 1 / 4 c u p s u g a r i n a m e t a l bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, using a whisk or an electric mixer, u n t i l s m o o t h a n d f l u i d . Ideally the mixture should reach 70C (160F). A d d 3 t a b l e s p o o n s o f dessert wine and whisk thor- oughly for another minute o r t w o . R e m o v e t h e b o w l from the heat and allow to c o o l c o m p l e t e l y . A d d t h e mascarpone and mix until just combined. Whip the cream in a sepa- rate bowl until it forms soft peaks. Fold the cream gently into the mascarpone mix- ture. To assemble the dessert: Slice the lady fingers into 2.5 cm (1 inch) long pieces. Line the bottom of a 22 x 30 cm (8.5 x 12 inch) rectangu- l a r s e r v i n g d i s h w i t h t h e ladyfingers to form a single layer, making compact rows. Arrange the diced pears o v e r t h e l a d y f i n g e r s a n d evenly drizzle over the red w i n e s y r u p s o t h a t t h e ladyfingers will be soft but not soggy. Layer over the mascarpone cream. You can also make the tiramisù in individual cups or glasses, as depicted in the photo. Cover the dish or glass with cling-film and chill for at least two hours and up to a day. Dust with ground cinna- mon before serving. L e t i z i a M a t t i a c c i i s a cookbook author and owner of Alla Madonna del Piatto C o o k i n g S c h o o l a n d A g r i t u r i s m o i n A s s i s i , U m b r i a , h t t p s : / / i n c a m - pagna.com. This recipe has been previously published in M r s . M a t t i a c c i c o o k b o o k entitled A Kitchen with a View. A delicious portion of peramisù, a tiramisù made with pears and wine! (Photo: Letizia Mattiacci) LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES Peramisù: an alternative version of classic tiramisù

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