We had good friends over for dinner recently and I made an Indian extravaganza (all posted recipes but I’ll repeat them below). I wanted something a little different because I’d already made Chai Crème Brûlée and Gulab Jamun. I’ve always wanted to bake Lady Fingers and that’s how I landed on Chai Tiramisu. We feasted on the Indian food and then retired to the living room to enjoy the wood fire and dessert; our guests must have enjoyed the dessert because after they’d decided they had had enough and rested the half-eaten plates on the coffee table, they kept picking them up for ‘just one more bite’, eventually finishing off the entire plate. Now THAT makes me happy.
It’s not overly sweet and the chai comes through from the chai liquor soaked lady fingers. The ricotta and Greek yogurt combo makes it slightly less rich than the mascarpone version which was good considering the heaviness of the meal; I would definitely make it again even with the home-made ladyfingers, but if you’re tight for time, the store bought Italian ladyfingers would certainly do the trick.
Chai Tiramisu and Homemade Ladyfingers
Makes approx 1 loaf pan 23 cm x 13 cm (9″ x 5″) tiramisu.
Lady Fingers
Makes about 36 small lady fingers
Roughly based my recipe on this recipe, but I reduced volumes and I changed the method for egg whites
Ingredients Ladyfingers:
- 2 eggs, room temperature, separated
- 4 tbsp sugar, divided
- 1/2 tsp bourbon vanilla extract
- pinch of cream of tartar
- 42 g cake and pastry flour, sifted
Directions Ladyfingers:
- Pre-heat the oven to 350° F (176° C). Generously butter and flour a lady finger molded tray or a cookie sheet.
- Beat egg whites with 2 tbsp sugar and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form, set aside.
- Beat egg yolks with remaining 2 tbsp sugar and vanilla extract until pale in colour but not ribbons.
- Gently fold in the egg whites being careful not to deflate. Carefully sift the flour into the egg mixture and fold even more carefully so as not to deflate but making sure all the flour is well incorporated.
- Using a lady finger molded baking tray, or piping the batter into long fingers
- Bake for 12 minutes, allow to cool completely in pan and gently coax out to remove.
Ingredients for Chai liquor (see note):
- 1/3 cup of milk
- 2 short cinnamon sticks
- 2 star anise
- 3 green cardamom pods
- 8-10 cloves
- 1 tsp sugar
- 5 cm fresh vanilla bean
- 1 black tea bag
- 1 tsp Pastis (or any anise flavoured liquor such as Ouzo or Anisette)
Directions for Chai liquor:
- Add milk and all of the spices except the vanilla bean to a small saucepan and stir well.
- Scrape seeds out of the vanilla bean and add both bean and seeds to the saucepan. Heat slowly to infuse the milk with the chai flavours, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool, strain through a coarse sieve to allow vanilla seeds to remain in infused milk. Stir in Pastis. Set aside for assembly.
Ingredients for the Ricotta Cream and Chai Sugar:
- 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese (See note)
- 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/2 tsp orange zest
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 tbsp icing sugar, divided
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp cloves
- 1/8 tsp cardamon
- 1 tsp cocoa
- 1/4 cup, roughly chopped pistachios, toasted
Directions for the Cream and Chai Sugar:
- Combine ricotta, yogurt, orange rind and 2 tbsp icing sugar and whip until fluffy.
- Combine 1 tbsp icing sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamon and cocoa and mix well.
Directions for Assembly:
- Line a small loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Dip each end of the ladyfingers into the chai liquor and line the loaf pan with them. Spread one third of the cream mixture over top, sprinkle with the chai sugar. Repeat 2 more times.
- Refrigerate overnight. About 90 minutes before serving, place in the freezer for so it’s easy to slice. Remove after 1 hour and slice into portions. Sprinkle some of the chai sugar on each plate, carefully place each slice in the centre of the plate, allow to sit for 30 minutes so it’s not overly cold. Serve with sprinkled pistachios.
Notes:
- On using ricotta over mascarpone: I chose ricotta for two reasons, first is calories, this dessert made with ricotta is less than half the calories than using the richer mascarpone and two is budget, for some bizarre reason, mascarpone was $15 for about the same size of a $4 ricotta tub.
- Feel free to use a chai tea bag to infuse the milk and omit all of the other spices, although I would still add the vanilla bean and seeds and the Anise liquor. Do not squeeze the tea bag otherwise you will have bitter chai liquor.
- This dessert is best if it sits overnight in the fridge.
- Although it is tempting to spray the ladyfinger pan with a non-stick spray, it will NOT WORK. Butter it generously and dust with flour. Each pan must be washed and rebuttered.
Palek Paneer Carrot Pickle and Mango Chutney Best Naan Ever Aloo Papri Chat Beef Buhna Paneer Makhani Baked Onion Bahjis Jamie Olivers Chicken Tikka Masala (by far our favourite Indian Recipe) Enhanced Mulligatawny Soup Gulab Jamun Matar Paneer
Wow, Eva, this sounds quite divine… very impressive!
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Thank you kindly Liz.
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Lovely, Eva – the homemade Lady Fingers really put this over the top & I love the idea of these flavors!
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Thank you kindly Donalyn, that’s very nice of you to say.
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What an innovative tiramisu! It must taste amazing with homemade ladyfingers!!
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It was quite tasty, thank you for you kind words, Liz.
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Eva, this dessert couldn’t look any more terrific. You even made your own ladyfingers! Sigh. And the entire menu for the dinner party…how I would have loved to feast on it. May your New Year be off to a great start.
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Happy New Year to you too Brooks, I’m quite flattered by your kind words, thank you. I hope your new year is off to a great start too.
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Happy New Year, Eva! Your tiramisù looks beautiful! And the chai flavour sounds really appetising…. I’ve never tasted it this way. So original! And homemade ladyfingers…. you are very brave!
I must test your Greek yogurt tip instead of mascarpone which always stops me from doing the tiramisù (though I have already used light mascarpone, which is not bad, but difficult to get).
Thank you for reminding us all the Indian treats you have posted! I’m still in awe of your naans (mine never look even half as good).
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Happy New Year to you too, Sissi. Thank you again for all of your lovely words, you are far too kind. The lady fingers were not that difficult to make, I’m sure you have made a genoise sponge and this is not much different so I’m certain you can do it. I am often put off by desserts that are too rich for caloric reasons but this one was to help maintain a balance to the heavy Indian meal we had. The Naans are definitely a favourite, we always make a double batch so one can go into the freezer so I need not be bothered making it again the next time.
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I’m very impressed that you have ladyfinger molds. Just as I’m sure your guests were impressed with your Indian dinner.
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Thank you Karen, the pan is rather old, I can’t even recall when I got it but it was long, long ago!
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Isn’t it nice that you got to use it.
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Wow, you made your own lady fingers! Never done that. Now I gotta get that pan. 🙂 Happy New Year!
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Thanks John, it was easier than you think. Not sure where to get the pan, I got mine years and years ago.
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What a beautiful Indian feast, Eva. And I admire you for going to the trouble of making lady fingers. I don’t have one of those pans (but now I want one!) and so I would have had to go to the store and buy lady fingers. You have presented a very beautiful dessert with some lovely flavours xx
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Thank you kindly Charlie, the lady fingers were not that much trouble to make but I’m sure the store bought kind would work equally as well. XOXO
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You really do know how to entertain, Eva. The menu you prepare is as interesting to look at as it is to feast upon. And everything authentic. Remarkable! Making your own ladyfingers to use in the tiramisu is a case in point. You make your guests feel very special with your attention to detail.
As for the mascarpone vs ricotta the price difference is criminal. True, ricotta is produced from milk and mascarpone from cream but not so much to justify the pricing of both. If need be, I’ll buy a small container of mascarpone but if a larger amount is needed, I’ll make my own for less than half the price — and it is not at all complicated to do so.
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Thank you for your very kind words John. I’ve made ricotta before but not mascarpone. I suspect the method is quite similar. Now I need to check your blog in Cheesy Stuff and get the low-down. There may be mascarpone in our future.
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Wow. I had no idea that there were lady finger molds!!! For some recipes, in the old days, that didn’t require the actual “fingers,” I used to just make pans of the lady finger recipe. I think it was a Julia Child recipe. But this dessert is stunning!!!
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Hi Chef Mimi, many of the recipes I saw online just use a piping bag and a plain ordinary cookie sheet. I just happened to have bought this pan about a billion years ago and thought I should use it.
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OMG this food would make my heart sing. Making your own lady fingers is impressive and I love that pan.
Happy New Year and I look forward to every single dish you make.
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Thank you very, very much Maureen, I’m always so flattered by your comments. Happy New Year to you too, I can ‘t wait to see what’s cooking in your kitchen!
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Wow, what a delicious spread!! You’ve outdone yourself yet again Eva. The tiramisu is also the perfect slice. I can never get my slices as clean and perfect hehe.
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Thank you so much Lorraine, I use Liz (of Skinny Chick Can Bake) method by freezing it until it’s stiff enough to cut easily.
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That tiramisu is an amazing mashup of tastes, textures and cultures! HNY16GREG
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Thanks Greg. Happy New Year to you too!
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Amazing meal (reminds me that I still have to try that beef bhuna).. but making your own ladyfingers for the tiramisu. Come on, Eva. Let’s lower the bar just a little for those of us who are old and infirm. I just want to cuddle up next to that wood burning fire with a cup of hot cocoa and shot of something warming in it, especially on a cold and snowy day like today. (I NEED MORE COFFEE!!)
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Thanks so much Maria…old and infirm my foot! Honestly, your recipes are right up there, particularly the pretzel buns you recently made, gorgeous and I bet they were tasty too. Temperatures plummeted last night and the wind chill has us feeling like it’s -24° C but fortunately it’s only today, we’ll be back warming up tomorrow (thank you El Niño). We have had a little snow but not nearly as much as last year and I’m hoping it stays that way. Hot cocoa with a shot sounds wonderful. Cheers!
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As I’m drawing closer and closer to that big number, all the aches and pains are more obvious and I’m feeling the cold more than ever before. So, old and infirm is definitely the way I’m feeling these days.
Is it too early to hope that we’ll get an early spring? 🙂
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It’s never too early Maria.
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Eva your tiramisu is to die for and the naan is absolutely perfect! What a post!!!
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Thank you kindly Zsuzsa, Indian is one of our favourite cuisines but we don’t eat it often as it is quite heavy. If you like Indian I would highly recommend the Jamie Oliver Chicken Tikka Masala recipe and the Naan dough I posted is absolutely the best homemade Naan ever!
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What a feast! I’m sure your guests enjoyed every bit of the meal. It looks wonderful. And a very cool baking dish. 🙂 Have a wonderful start to the New Year! xo
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Thanks Kristy, it was a tasty meal for sure. Hope you have a wonderful New Year too. XOXO
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That’s quite a spread, how many people were you feeding and how many days were required to put this extravaganza together? I am still on a cheese-free diet but am hoping to slowly re-introduce cheese into my diet in a month or 2.
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No cheese would make me so sad…I just love the stuff. Hope it’s not going to be too tough getting it back into your diet. We only had another couple and I didn’t make everything I listed, just a selection but it was still too much food to be honest.
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I do miss cheese and hoping when I reintroduce it back into my diet I will not have any issues, but if that is all the issue I have to deal with life is good.
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Looks good! Love the pics!
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Thanks Lina
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Wow lots of GREAT stuff, Eva. Your tiramisu turned out perfect.
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Thanks so much Angie, Happy New Year to you!
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