Tiramisu revisited

So a few posts ago I mentioned that I wanted to try making a bombe version of tiramisu. Well that's exactly what I did at work today. I made a milk chocolate mousse infused with coffee extract, folded in some mascarpone cheese and lightened it up with some whipped cream. There is a bit of lady fingers inside to give it a bit of a crunch and break up all that mousse and chocolate sponge. 

For the first time I didn't soak it in alcohol. I couldn't tell you why tonight I just wasn't feeling the rum or wine. Usually alcohol is one of the background flavors (I think that's a post for another time) but I was pretty content with the way this came out. Again it was a somewhat collaberation with my coworker Sophia. It's funny because is her off day but that doesn't stop my from texting her "what do you think? Milk or dark chocolate?" "How does this look? Is that enough cocoa powder?" Sorry Sophia you know I need your expert opinion. 

Best part about trying something different? Always have to try it! What you want might not always work but I do love the research. 

Tiramisu: Coffee perfection

Oh tiramisu. Where I work we can hardly keep tiramisu inspired desserts in stock. As soon as that first cocoa powder covered dessert is in the display case people are asking, "is that tiramisu?" "Can I have another slice?" "What do you mean you're out of tiramisu?" "When will you have more?"

Tiramisu is an Italian dessert that consists of lady fingers, mascarpone cheese and Marsala wine(or maybe a delicious dark rum instead). When reading up on the dessert (everyone does that right?) I learned that tiramisu roughly translates to  pick me up. Tiramisu is a dessert that is telling you to pick it up and shove it in your face. Okay maybe it's more polite than that.  

 When I adapt the flavor for the restaurant I don't use lady fingers but I do soak the yellow sponge cake with coffee and alcohol. The frosting has a light coffee flavor and it then sprinkled with cocoa powder. Truthfully the mascarpone, to me anyways, doesn't add much flavor. My coworker tells me that I really don't have to add it as no one would notice with the coffee and wine overpowering the light flavor of the cheese, but I suppose I'm slightly traditional when it comes to flavors like this. 

So tiramisu has everything anyone could want. It's a combination of cheese, chocolate, coffee and wine. Perhaps I could adapt it into bombe form, a tiramisu mousse with lady fingers in the center. I might have to try that tomorrow. 

Today is Memorial Day so I'm sure the restaurant will run out of the nine tiramisu cakes I made last night.