How do you make perfect tiramisu

A.�It's a simple puddng of coffee, sponge, cream cheese (marscapone), egg yolks and a bit of booze. It's an Italian� trifle of sorts that has become incredibly popular in the UK�since it was first introduced in the early 80s.

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Q.� Where does it come from

A.� It hails from Veneto, the area around Venice on Italy's northern Adriatic coast. The region is well known for its fish, but it is even more famous for tiramisu, a dish created by a chef in Treviso. It literally means 'pick-me-up' , because it is concocted of coffee and a sweet wine or liqueur.

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Q. What is marscapone cheese

A. This is one of the key ingredients in tiramisu. It is a virtually solid cream, mildly coagulated and whipped into a velvety-like consistency.�It hails from the Lombardy region of Italy and is served with fresh fruit or sweetened with sugar. It has a delicate flavour, similar to cows' milk, and is available from good delicatessens and large supermarket stores.

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Q.� How do you make tiramisu

A.� It is one of those dishes best prepared the night before so the creamy filling binds better with the sponge fingers or biscuits. Some people prefer brandy, many like to use liquers Marsala and Amaretto. You will need:

250g marscapone

3 egg yolks

1 egg

100g caster sugar

2tbs Amaretto

50ml white wine (opitional)

1tsp expresso coffee powder

175g or 16 sponge fingers

3 full cups of expresso coffee (strong and flavourful)

1 tbsp caster sugar

2 teaspoons of cocoa powder for dusting

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The dish can either be preared in one bowl or smaller glass bowls.

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Whisk the egg yolks and whole egg, and liquers in a bowl over a pot of just boiling water. As you mix the mixture will become thicker. When it's firmish, remove from the heat and continue stirring for a few minutes. Add the sugar which will melt very quickly. Add the marscapone and the expresso powder and fimly beat everything together. This mixture will need to be cooled.

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Mix the coffee and sugar together in a bowl large enough to soak the biscuits. Dip them in a few at a time so they are moist and cover the base of a large rectangular dish. Pour over half the cream and add a second layer of biscuits. Cover with the remaining creamy mixture and dust the top with chocolate or cocoa powder. Chill overnight in the fridge.

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By Katharine MacColl

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