Tiramisu, or more precisely Tirimi su, which literally translates to "lift me up," comes to us from Italy, as you probably already know. I've found several legends surrounding this dessert to explain the aphrodisiac character attributed to it.
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During the renaissance in Venice, women allegedly used to offer tiramisu to their lovers to provide them with enough energy during their encounters. This custom also apparently occurred in bars where prostitutes would offer the dessert to men who desired them.
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Another legend from the Trieste region suggests that the pastry chef who originated this dessert overheard one of his customers saying that his dessert had "lifted him up from everywhere". This remark was more likely directed at the voluptuous waitress rather than the dessert itself, but nevertheless, the pastry chef took it as praise for his creation.
"This dessert lifted me up from everywhere"
Lastly, on a more practical note, tiramisu is said to have been created to avoid wasting cold coffee and stale biscuits... A less glamorous explanation, but one that makes sense. After all, it's often by chance that the best recipes are born.
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So, without further ado, here is my revamped sexy tiramisu recipe. For an understanding of the choice of ingredients and their nutritional benefits, I refer you to this month's blog (February 2024).
Sexy and Healthy Tiramisu Recipe
Ingredients
Ladyfinger Biscuits:
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2 organic linseed eggs (very important if you want eggs rich in omega-3... and not in hormones or antibiotics 😅).
20g erythritol or xylitol (prebiotics for gut bacteria).
20g arrowroot (gluten-free starch with alleged anti-acid and anti-inflammatory properties on the digestive system).
20g green banana flour (contains resistant starch and inulin, fibers nourishing gut bacteria, particularly short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria).
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Tiramisu Ingredients:
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2 organic linseed eggs.
170g whole yogurt (such as skyr) or silken tofu.
200ml almond milk.
Unsweetened organic cocoa powder.
60g date sugar (dates contain interesting prebiotics for gut bacteria).
Aphrodisiac spices of your choice: cinnamon, ginger, maca powder, saffron.
Preparation
Ladyfinger Biscuits:
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Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
1/In a bowl, mix arrowroot and green banana flour.
2/ Beat the egg whites until foamy, then gradually add sugar.
3/ Beat the egg yolks and add them to the beaten egg whites. Whisk for a few seconds.
Sift the arrowroot and green banana flour mixture directly onto the egg mixture. Fold gently using a spatula and transfer the mixture to a piping bag.
4/ Pipe the ladyfinger biscuits onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 10 minutes (keep an eye on them depending on your oven). Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to dry.
Tiramisu :
1/Prepare the chocolate milk: mix 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder with your chosen spices. Pour hot milk over the mixture and let it cool.
2/ In a bowl, beat the egg yolks with sugar. In another bowl, whisk the yogurt or tofu with 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder using an electric whisk. Mix this with the egg yolk mixture, whisking for a few seconds.
3/ Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold both mixtures together using a spatula.
4/ Dip the ladyfinger biscuits into the chocolate milk and place them in a glass dish (on the bottom and sides).
5/ Pour half of the mixture from step 3 over the biscuits. Add another layer of biscuits. Then pour the remaining mixture over them. Dust with cocoa powder and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.