A popular complete dessert like tiramisu can be reinterpreted using leftover panettone that soaks up the coffee and contrasts with the creamy mascarpone. British chef Tom Hunt invented the “brilliant recipe”.
Tiramisu can also be made with leftover panettone. PHOTO: Shutterstock
British chef Tom Hunt tells The Guardian how the ‘brilliant’ tiramisu recipe with leftover panettone came about. At Bristol’s Aqua restaurant, he learned the tiramisu recipe from chef Jo Fraser, a veteran chef specializing in a global menu that ranged from Thai curries to Italian desserts.
“Jon’s tiramisu was rich, bittersweet and alcohol-infused and traditionally made with sponge cake, but this festive rendition uses leftover panettone pieces instead, not least because they absorb the coffee and alcohol”explains the mood.
Tiramisu with panettone
“I learned to do mascarpone cream at my first restaurant chef job in 2001 and I still remember how delicious it was. We would make a huge tray of tiramisu and serve hundreds of servings a month”says Tom.
The whole egg mascarpone cream creates a very rich and filling yet light and fluffy texture that I find irresistible, especially when paired with dry panettone, which is perfect for this kind of dessert as it absorbs the coffee mixture and reduces food waste. The panettone I used had walnuts in it which lifted the texture of the dessert making it crunchy and sweet.
“Although Tiramisu it’s a classic dessert, like all recipes it’s always worth tweaking the ingredients to use what you have on hand. If you don’t have mascarpone but have some creme fraiche, ricotta or cream cheese on hand, use them. The same goes for booze: be inventive and use up any leftover spirits and fortified wines you happen to have in your cupboard – everything from marsala, wine, sherry, vermouth, amaretto, frangelico, rum, cognac or a coffee liqueur. It will work fine. I used Disarded Spirits Banana Peel Rum which gave the dish a whole new dimension“, explains the chef.
The tiramisu-panetonne recipe
Needed for 6 servings
4 medium eggs
6 tablespoons of unrefined sugar
250 g mascarpone, or cream cheese or crème fraîche
150 ml of strong coffee or espresso prepared, chilled
4 tablespoons of spirit or fortified wine, Marsala, cognac or rum
250g-300g panettone, cut into 2 cm thick slices
Unsweetened cocoa powder at the end
Separate the egg. Beat the egg whites and three tablespoons of sugar until stiff peaks form. Beat the egg yolks with the remaining three tablespoons of sugar for five minutes, until thick and pale. Mix the mascarpone into the egg yolk mixture until smooth, then gently fold in the egg whites.
In a shallow bowl, combine the coffee and the alcohol or fortified wine. Briefly dip a slice of panettone in the coffee mixture, just until it changes color, place on the base of a 20cm dish, then repeat with more slices of soaked panettone until the base is covered (alternatively place the slices in individual glasses or ramekins).
Spread half of the mascarpone mixture over the panettone layer, then dust with cocoa. Repeat with a second layer of soaked panettone and top with the remaining mascarpone.
Cover and chill for eight hours, or overnight, then dust the top with more cocoa powder just before serving. Once made, your dessert will keep for up to three days in the refrigerator.
