Chai Tiramisu
The classic Italian tiramisu rebuilt with strong Twinings Dark Chai soaking liquor, mascarpone, sponge fingers, dark rum and a cocoa dust top.
Chai tiramisu swaps the espresso of the classic for a strong brew of Twinings Dark Chai, which turns the whole thing warm and spiced rather than bitter, the cardamom and ginger sitting well against the mascarpone and the cocoa on top. A little dark rum goes into the soak, the same as a traditional tiramisu.
Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for the Chai Tiramisu recipe. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/recipes/chai tea/chai tiramisu/
It is made exactly like the original otherwise: a mascarpone cream lightened with whisked egg whites, layered with sponge fingers dipped in the chai soak, and left to set in the fridge for a few hours. With no Coffee in it, it suits an evening when you would rather skip the caffeine.
You'll need
- 3 Twinings Dark Chai tea bags
- 250ml freshly drawn water, brought to a true rolling boil
- 20ml dark rum (for the soaking liquor)
- 2 tablespoons of golden caster sugar (for the soaking liquor)
- 3 large free range eggs, yolks and whites separated
- 75g golden caster sugar (for the mascarpone layer)
- 500g mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
- 200g Italian savoiardi sponge fingers (about 30 Biscuits)
- 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, for dusting
- Half a teaspoon of mild ground cinnamon, for the final dust
- 1 shallow 20cm square ovenproof dish
- 1 wide shallow bowl for the soak
Method
- Drop the 3 Twinings Dark Chai tea bags into a small heatproof jug. Pour over the 250ml of rolling boiling water and steep for six full minutes, covered with a small saucer.
- After six minutes, lift the tea bags from the jug, do not press, and discard. Stir the 2 tablespoons of caster sugar into the hot tea until fully dissolved, then stir in the 20ml of dark rum. Set the jug aside to cool flat for fifteen minutes.
- While the soaking liquor cools, separate the 3 eggs into two bowls. Add the 75g of golden caster sugar to the bowl of yolks.
- Whisk the yolks and sugar together for three full minutes with an electric whisk until the mix pales and thickens into a ribbon, then beat in the 500g of mascarpone cheese a third at a time until the bowl is smooth and glossy with no lumps.
- In the second bowl, whisk the 3 egg whites with a clean dry whisk to firm peaks. Fold the firm whites into the mascarpone bowl in three additions, the first to slacken and the last two with a light figure of eight motion to keep the air in.
- Pour the cooled chai soaking liquor into the wide shallow bowl. Dip the sponge fingers two at a time into the soak for a one second count on each side, just enough to wet through without falling apart.
- Line the base of the 20cm square dish with one tight layer of soaked sponge fingers, breaking any extras to fit the corners.
- Spoon half of the mascarpone mix evenly across the soaked biscuit layer, smoothing flat with a palette knife. Lay a second tight layer of soaked sponge fingers on top.
- Spoon the rest of the mascarpone mix across the second biscuit layer, smoothing flat to the top of the dish.
- Cover the dish with cling film and place flat on the middle shelf of the fridge for four full hours, or overnight. Just before serving, dust the surface heavily with the 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder through a fine sieve, then add a light dust of ground cinnamon across the top.
Want the background, not just the brew?
Brewed with: Twinings Dark Chai, 40 Tea Bags 80g
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