Wednesday 1 September 2021

My Goddamn Sorry-Looking Tiramisu


[Note: NOT my tiramisu]

My Rare One and I LOVE tiramisu and order it every time we find it on the menu at good Italian restaurants. I've never attempted to make this intimidating dessert myself, however, because of the very real culinary skill needed to make the sabayon custard filling (many egg yolks, mascarpone cheese and whipped heavy cream). Way beyond my capabilities, alas!

But recently, over at Rain Frances blog, I discovered that she had posted a recipe for a "faux tiramisu" that looked pretty darn easy to me. Even (dare I say it) "idiot-proof" which is MY kind of recipe! So I gave it a shot.

In retrospect, my biggest mistake was using a pan that was too large for the ladyfingers. I had to "improvise on the fly" in the construction department and that's when things went a bit sideways. I ended up with a tiramisu that looked like the rocky cliffs of a seashore hellscape --


My second biggest mistake occurred when sifting cocoa powder on top of the tiramisu. The only delicate little sieve I own is one I use for sifting ground charcoal in art projects, so I decided "hmmm, no, better not use that one for this." So I used my regular big baking sieve instead and of course the cocoa powder fell right through its large mesh without even slowing down, accumulating in deep drifts like topsoil blown off a prairie wheat field in the Dirty Thirties -- 


Not so idiot-proof after all, eh? 

But I let my butt-ugly tiramisu sit in the fridge for the recommended 24 hours to meld the flavours and then, with great trepidation, we sliced it and tried it. And you know what?

That mofo was DEE-LISH!

Thanks for the recipe, Rain! Am I ready now for the Great Canadian Baking Show? Hahahahahahaha!

[Photo #1 from the internet; photos #2 and #3 © Debra She Who Seeks, August 2021]

51 comments:

  1. Hahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!

    Thank you for the laugh this morning! That looks EXACTLY like something I would make. But hey, at least it's delicious! That's what counts, right? 😄

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  2. Honey, I don't care how it looks like. As long as it's dessert, I'm here for it.
    And ladyfingers? Yum.
    Now I'm hungry.

    XOXO

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  3. Looks delicious! You might also like "Tres Leches" a dessert popular in New Mexico with a few extra calories.

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  4. If it was tasty, who cares what it looks like.

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  5. hahahaat least you tried and i think it looks great. tirimisu doesn't have to be perfect martha stewartish to be good! you can always make it in individual servings too.

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  6. I love seeing what delicious things Rain is making and eating. That lady knows how to do stuff with cheese! Concerning your dessert: you might not win a 1st place for presentation at the fall fair, but thank goodness how it looks did not equate with how it tasted! Yay for even trying! I've never made tiramisu and I don't even think I've eaten one. -Jenn

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  7. I knew it would taste good no matter the looks! Happy eating!

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  8. Adventures in cooking. Been there, done that, but yours compared to theirs had me ROFLMAO. Glad the taste worked out.

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  9. I always say that it matters not what it looks like, but how it tastes.
    And I will say I kinda like your rough-edged tiramisu. It doesn't look as dainty and untouchable as the one in the top photo!

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  10. It seems you got the most important part of the recipe perfectly: it tastes great! The rest will come next.

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  11. Hi Debra, Too many picture-perfect desserts are not really that good. It is the "slightly" irregular home-made versions that are truly delicious.
    --Jim

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  12. BWAAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAAHAHAHAAAAHAHAHAAAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAHAHAHAAAAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAHAHAAAA! . . .oh crap i pissed muhself again.

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  13. The taste is the thing! And it's artisanal, so there.

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  14. I don't think I've ever had tiramisu, thanks for the link to an easy version. Even if I do make something look OK, by the time I get it on the plate it's a mess anyway. As others said - taste is the most important!

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  15. It’s Charlie Brown Tiramisu. Or maybe it’s a Tiramisused! But as long as it’s deelish, who cares what it looks like. And, honestly, I think it’s kind of beautiful!

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  16. Tee hee hee....YOU MADE IT!!! A few little glitches, but isn't it terribly addictive??? I'm making another one today and I've given up on the esthetics, we basically just eat it out of the dish now!!! Great post Debra. I may try this with a chocolate pudding next time too!

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  17. @ Rain -- Yes, it IS addictive! My Rare One wants me to make it ALL THE TIME now, but I have to show some restraint or we'll both end up gaining too much weight! I promised her I'd make another one this month though. I used Kahlua in mine (yum, yum) and next time I'll up the coffee flavour even more by using espresso instead of just regular brewed coffee.

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  18. I can hardly microwave stuff. I definitely should have taken a culinary class

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  19. Wow! Tiramisu! I'm impressed. Sure, Mary Berry would call it 'informal', but you get big points for trying and even bigger points for it being delicious! If you cared about presentation, you could cut off the rough edge (the rocky cliffs), but why? Those cliffs are just as delicious as the rest.

    I love your similes!

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  20. A little weight gain, more of us to love! ☺ Espresso is a great idea. I don't do caffeine so I have to use decaf, but I'll check for decaf espresso if I can find it next time I'm shopping. I can imagine Frangelico tasting good with this too! So glad you both enjoyed it!

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  21. Taste is what matters. That eating with your eyes stuff is bull.

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  22. I'd eat it, and come back for more.

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  23. This reminds me of the texture of Yorkshire pudding, or noodle kugel, or other scrumptious desserts. I'm not surprised it was delicious. The messiest of things are. =) Go, you!

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  24. I'm sorry, Debra! When I saw your tiramisu, I burst out laughing. I'm laughing now! But I wasn't surprised that it was delicious. I would gobble it up happily. I'm going to try Rain's Cheese Whiz. I have the ingredients, but I need to find time for many, many minutes of stirring. She amazes me. Thanks for the wonderful laugh! My you and your Rare One have a great day!

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  25. I think it looks pretty darn amazing and delish!!!

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  26. Calories and taste are the only things that count in the end!

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  27. It does look rather unusual but regardless of that I am sure that it tasted delicious, and in the end that is all that matters.

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  28. Glad it tasted great so all in all not a disaster.

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  29. As long as you get the ingredients right, the deliciousness will be there! I have made my share of dishes that look nothing like the photo too.

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  30. You are so cute! LOL! I bet it was delicious! Now I think I might have to try! Good job Deb! I've missed you! Big Hugs!

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  31. Congrats‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️ I wouldn’t try.

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  32. Hey, who among us hasn't had the infamous sifting mishap? When it comes to home made desserts, taste always counts twice as much as presentation.

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  33. Bet you will try that again! Yes it did look pretty sad,but it made me smile and I'm happy it was delicious.

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  34. Lady fingers YUM! You win!
    Great Canadian Bake Off would love to have you on Im sure of it!
    Hey! wait a minute! YOu Bake? Start sharing your recipes please!
    Well done Julia Childs!

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  35. What about trying it with twinkies? Twinkie; cocoa; twinkie; cocoa.

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  36. Desserts are for eating, not viewing. If it tasted delicious, that's all that matters.

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  37. As my mother-in-law would say, there's no such thing as a failed cake. This looks delicious in any case.

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  38. Debra,

    Oh you're so funny! My recipes never look as the picture. It's taken me years to get over that it's not meant for my finished product be be picture-perfect. The bottom line is all in the taste. Is it a winner or loser? If the recipe is a good one and I don't make any mistakes then chances are favorable that it'll be a huge success with my chief foodie critic and loving DH who is a dessert guru. I've been toying with the idea of trying to make a Tiramisu but haven't yet. Many years ago I remember making the lady-finger version, obviously not Rain's recipe, but I wasn't crazy about the outcome. I think the biggest thing was at the time I wasn't nearly as fond of Tiramisu as I am now. I will have to check out Rain's fake version now that you've given it your seal of approval. Thanks for the laughs and the share this morning. Also, congrats on being this week's TAD featured blogger! ;)

    Expressionism - Self Portrait

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  39. Welcome back! Somewhere along time ago somebody said “looks aren’t everything“! I think you were brave to try it in the first place. The proof is in the taste! Glad it was good. The first time I had it, it was a late dinner. I didn’t sleep all night. I think it’s a good thing to eat for breakfast! Hope you are well.

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  40. Tasting good is all that counts. I've never tried tiramisu but I'll look for it if I ever get to an Italian restaurant again!

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  41. Tasting good is the final rating, perhaps that Eye Candy one tasted like shit... so, you Win!

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  42. what a relief to learn the end dear Debra :)

    i think whe something do for the first time it happens to everybody so trust me next time when you will try it it's look will surly match the taste believe me
    health ,joy and peace to you and loved ones my friend !

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  43. You can't beat a MOFO delicious dessert, even if it ain't pretty!!
    I also love tiramisu and I don't think I'd ever attempt it, so bravo to you.

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  44. I think it looks fine (though I did chuckle over the sieving bit) and the taste is what counts.

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  45. Forget the looks I know it tasted fabulous!

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  46. I laughed hard at this. My husband is an amazing cook and has done neat things with presentation. Me? I make strange looking things that mostly taste good. This tiramisu speaks to my soul.

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  47. I don't think I've ever had any.
    My disappointments in cooking always improve with notes towards improvements.

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  48. That is HILARIOUS!!!! But I bet it didn't taste bad at all!

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