25 July 2007

Tiramisu Ice Cream


As a kid, tiramisu was one of those desserts that adults always ordered if you went to an Italian restaurant. It didn't look terribly exciting, and it had the funny translation of "pick me up," which sounded about as stodgy as your Uncle Lou's paisley tie. Besides, if it was an Italian restaurant, that meant gelato was on order, so who would even contemplate anything else. Which is why I'd never had tiramisu until one day when I bought one at a Damascus cafe. Now, I realize Syria is not the place for one's first tiramisu experience, but it looked good and the pastry shop was a very reputable one. It was delicious, with fluffy filling, the bite of coffee and hint of chocolate.

Since then, I've had many more tiramisus (from more traditional sources), but I still love gelato, and this tiramisu ice cream is a perfect marriage of the two. In fact, it's one of my favorite flavors, and the best part is that all you do is put all the ingredients in a blender and blitz! Which means that you'll only have one dish to wash, provided you haven't licked it squeaky clean already.

In other ice cream news, I'm working on a little ice cream project for the month of August. I'm quite excited about it so I hope you'll stay tuned for the details!

Tiramisu Ice Cream
Two classic Italian desserts in one, this ice cream has the rich tang of mascarpone with hints of coffee liquer. Layering the ice cream with cocoa powder after you've churned it gives it beautiful stripes.

2 cups mascarpone (or 8 oz cream cheese plus 1 cup sour cream)
2/3 cup whole milk
2/3 cup cream
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup Kahlua (or substitute strong espresso)
1 tbl brandy or rum
pinch salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder

1. Place all the ingredients except the cocoa powder in the blender and blend until completely smooth. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill thoroughly (at least 4 hours), then churn in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions.
2. After you've churned the ice cream, transfer 1/3 of the ice cream to your storage container, then sift some of the cocoa powder over top, top with another layer of ice cream, sift with cocoa powder, and finally cover with the remaining ice cream. Store in the freezer.

Note: you can substitute 1 1/3 cups half-and-half for the milk and cream.
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26 comments:

dina (Lucas' mom) said...

oh wow -- this is something I will try.

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

The layer is absolutely awesome. Coffee and chocolate, sooo good.

Dolores said...

I'm with you... why choose when you can indulge in both? :)

Meeta K. Wolff said...

Mercedes this is like heaven to me. Combining gelato with tiramisu I could kiss you for this one. Thanks a bunch!

dishevelledmind said...

looks lovely, I will try it once I get that ice cream maker I've always dreamed of :)

FYI - I've nominated your blog for Best Food Blog at www.bloggerchoiceawards.com/blogs/show/23295, because it is one of the best food blogs I've come across.

People will need to register to vote.

Good luck

Anonymous said...

Oh--that's almost overwhelming! I fear I'll become obsessed with that. Simply wonderful!

Hilda said...

Mercedes I also posted ice cream yesterday, mine is mint chocolate chunk, but 'tis the season. In any case, I have some mascarpone that I have to use in the fridge so I'm very tempted to make this today.

breadchick said...

Ok, I've been RESISTING buying an ice cream maker even though everyone's ice cream I've been seeing all summer has been calling me to get one but Mercedes, this one did it. I'm breaking down and buying an ice cream maker so I can make Tiramisu ice cream. This looks sooooo good.

Anonymous said...

clever idea. I would love to try!

Africantapestry and Myfrenchkitchen said...

Wonderful combination of two favorites...looks great too.
Ronell

Mercedes said...

Deena, Tanna- thanks!

culinary- :-)

Meeta- I wish I could take credit for the idea, but tiramisu flavor is pretty common in Italy. Nonetheless, I still thought my recipe came out quite well!

Dishevelled- Oh, I'm so flattered, thank you! I'll never win, but it's nice to be nominated!

sher- don't obsess, just make some :-)

hilda- you're right, it is the season, mint chocolate chip is a great one

breadchick- i'm flattered. you can get an inexpensive ice cream maker for about $50 that works quite well. Let me know if you try/enjoy the recipe, and happy churning!

Bea, Ronnell- thanks!

Hillary said...

Mmmmm...I love when two of my favorite things merge into one! This is up there with green tea creme brulee! Great idea! Looks scrumptious!

Brilynn said...

I'm not capable of refusing ice cream, this looks delicious, I want some!

Andrea said...

This looks and sounds absolutely delicious!

Latin Lupe Lu said...

I just found your blog and find these recipes incredible! I would have never thought to make tiramisu but it doesn't look too hard. Thanks for the lovely dishes.

JaviitaVi said...

can i ask you, what kind of camara do you use for your shots? They look amazing and I know my mom's regular digital camara wont make my pics look as good as your do!!

Btw, I love your blog and Im a fan!

I tried making the mini pavolvas (im not sure i spelled it right lol) and they turned out great and very very simpple!

Thanks for all the posts and please give us more!

<3

Melissa said...

You are a culinary goddess. Last time I made ice cream it took twice as long to prepare the base and it was grainy. Your recipe is so smooth and rich. I am very popular at my house tonight. I think your base would work well with fruit too!

Mercedes said...

hilary, andrea, lu- thanks!

brilynn- i have leftovers!

Javi- I actually use a very inexpensive Canon coolpix camera, it was inexpensive and about 3 years old. So I bet your mom's camera would do just fine! I'm glad you tried the pavlovas.

Melissa- great! I'm so glad you made and enjoyed it!

Wide Lawns said...

I just wanted to thank you for this recipe. I made it Friday night when we had friends over for dinner and everyone loved it. We served the last of the leftovers with my grandfather's birthday cake a little while ago. This is really, really rich and yummy. I highly recommend this recipe to everyone.

Jacqueline said...

This seems soo amazing, but one question: Can u make it without an ice-cream machine?

Mercedes said...

Subserviant- Oh, I am so happy you all enjoyed it! And happy birthday to your grandfather, sounds like you all had two lovely treats!

Hi Jacqueline- yes, you can make it without a machine- just put it in the freezer and stir vigourously (or blend with a hand blender) about every half hour until it has the right consistency. For more info, check out David's post on How the Make Ice Cream Without a Machine.

Anonymous said...

that looks wonderful. definitely a must try.

The People's Kitchen said...

I love Tiramisu and that seems so yummy.... Now I need an ice cream machine...

Anonymous said...

This sounds amazing. My parents travel a lot and anytime they are in Italy my dad gets tiramisu gelato - literally EVERY time. So, I am going to make this for his birthday. If you wanted to make this even more authentic you could substitute Marsala for the brandy/rum.

Anonymous said...

Made this for my sister in law yesterday for her birthday!! It was a hit with everyone. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, I will be making this every year for her!!

MissWillmott'sGhost said...

The first time I had Tiramisu Gelato was on Federal Hill in Providence, R.I. - ie, Little Italy. It was THE BEST ice cream dessert I had ever tasted, and it's been my mission ever since to recreate the recipe. Will definitely try yours!