TWD: Inside-Out Upside-Down Tirami Sù

TWD baking through Baking with Julia
by Dorie Greenspan
Contributing baker: Gale Gand

Tiramisù has been on my to-make list for the longest time, and when I saw it on the nomination list, I seconded that option - without reviewing the recipe beforehand.

Little did I know it was going to be nothing like the Italian dessert of coffee soaked lady fingers, layered with a mascarone cream filling, and topped with a dusting of cocoa, that I was so excited to finally be making, and marking off my list.

This version is made with phyllo dough, coffee flavored granita, and a cinnamon flavored saboyan sauce.

The recipe calls for four-inch ring molds which I do not have, so I formed my own with aluminum foil.  The phyllo dough is buttered and sugared (a mix of sugar and ginger), then scrunched up and placed into the mold. I forgot to add the sugar before scrunching, so I sprinkled it on top after the fact (before baking).

My sugar looks a bit clumpy because I used fresh ginger rather than dried, and the moisture from the ginger made it clump, which after baking gave it a wonderful hard, crunchy texture.

One of the benefits of baking and posting late, is you get a chance to read your fellow bakers posts to see if they experienced any issues with the making of the recipe. The consensus was that the granita melted almost immediately after being plated. So I made sure I had everything ready to go. I even sprinkled the top phyllo pillow with powdered sugar and shaved chocolate before assembly.

For a little extra pizazz, I added a drizzle of caramel sauce that I had hanging out in the fridge.

Gayle's sabayon sauce recipe calls for whipped cream and mascarpone to be stirred into cooled custard; I did not have any whipped cream, so I added enough half-and-half to thin the sauce to an almost pourable consistency.

I wasn't expecting to like this much after my disappointment in finding this was not a classic tiramisù; and the whole time, with each step, I kept saying to myself, I really don't feel like making this... I was so not in the mood.

In the end, I thought it was really good! The only thing I would do differently next time, is make the espresso stronger. I used instant espresso coffee, next time, either add extra, or just hit up Peet's for a real espresso.

You can find the recipe on page 398 of Baking with Julia, or by clicking here.

To see what my fellow bakers thought of this recipe, click here.