Oh, I can hear you now, asking “Chef Jacquie, cherries aren’t even in season. What are we supposed to do?” And my answer is this – Amarena cherries! For this recipe, we will use richly delicious and syrupy amarena cherries to add a layer of sweet and tart to this nutty tiramisu variation. My favorite amarena cherries are from Fabbri, but you can use any variation available at your grocery or specialty store.
Let’s get started!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (8-10 oz.) freshly brewed espresso, cooled
- 16 oz. Mascarpone cheese
- 5.5 oz. Pistachio cream or paste
- 5 egg yolks
- 3 egg whites
- 6.5 oz granulated sugar
- Splash of brandy or rum
- 1 tsp. vanilla paste or extract
- Crushed pistachios, for garnish
- Amarena cherries, for garnish
- 1 package of lady fingers
Ingredient Notes:
Amarena Cherries: For your Amarena cherries, my favorite brand is Fabbri, but you can use any variation available at your local grocery or specialty store.
Pistachio cream or paste: In Italy, Pistachio products are usually only a stone’s throw away. Any nonna worth her salt will have some stashed away in her pantry. For everyone else, this may not be the most easily accessible product. If you have a favorite Italian food-stuff store that you shop at, they will almost have their own preferred brand of Pistachio spread. If not you may have some luck at a well-stocked chain grocery store. A few brands that we like and are available online are from Pisti and Gianetti Artisans.
If you are feeling especially ambitious, you could even attempt to make your own pistachio cream entirely from scratch. I don’t necessarily recommend this approach — the versions that you can buy are going to give you a better consistency than you can likely make at home. Plus, who has the time? But, if you’re looking to impress your sweetie, home-made pistachio butter is definitely one way to do it!
Instructions
Prepare the Mascarpone:
- In a Mixing Bowl: Combine mascarpone cheese and pistachio cream. Gently mix until smooth, taking care not to over-whip —this keeps the mixture creamy and stable.
- In a Separate Bowl: whisk egg yolks with sugar until pale and fluffy. Fold whipped egg yolk mixture into mascarpone mixture. Add vanilla paste and splash of brandy or rum, incorporate.
Whip the Egg Whites
- In a Clean Dry Bowl: beat egg whites until stiff peaks form
- Gently fold: whipped egg whites into the mascarpone mixture.
Assemble the Tiramisu
- Dip each ladyfinger briefly into the cooled espresso, ensuring they are evenly soaked by not overly drenched
- Layer the soaked ladyfingers in an even layer in the bottom of your serving dish.
- Spread a generous layer of the pistachio mascarpone cream over the layer of ladyfingers. Repeat the process, alternating layers until the dish is filled. End with a layer of cream on top.
Garnish and Chill
- Sprinkle chopped pistachios on top for a bit of crunch.
- Add amarena cherries as a finishing touch.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 6-8 hours; overnight chilling creates the best texture and flavors.
Enjoy!
Slice into portions or scoop into bowl to serve. Mangia bene!
