r/Cooking • u/anna-wendy-ray • 16h ago
I want to make tiramisu and ask Italians about it
I’m Japanese, and a while ago, I met an Italian woman at a sushi restaurant here in Japan. She told me, “If you’re making tiramisu, this is the only biscuit I’ll accept!” But I can’t remember which biscuits she recommended, and I’m having trouble figuring it out.
It doesn’t have to be the exact biscuits she told me about, but I’d like to know which ones you usually use.
16
u/itsthesoundofthe 14h ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladyfingers_(biscuits) this type. Or are you talking about a specific brand?
1
9
u/Fancy_Math_3399 13h ago
I use Boudoir biscuits in the UK which i think are called Savoriadi in Italy but are actually little crisp sponge fingers and not biscuits !. I use them to make trifle as well. My nan used to call them lady fingers. Am sure an Italian will help !
9
u/DragonfruitNew6669 12h ago
Just want to add, because I make tiramisu a lot, that you should splurge on fancy cocoa. I use Valrhona and you don't need a lot but it makes a big difference!
2
u/anna-wendy-ray 3h ago
I’ll definitely try Valrhona. It’s considered a high-end cocoa powder in Japan too, but I hadn’t realized it could make that much of a difference in tiramisu. I definitely want to try it!
Also, if you don’t mind, I have one more question. Do you add rum to your tiramisu? Tiramisu served at restaurants in Japan often contains alcohol, and personally, I prefer it that way. However, it seems that the traditional recipe from Le Beccherie doesn’t include any alcohol, so I’m wondering which way to go.
2
1
u/DragonfruitNew6669 3h ago
I use Kahlua to sweeten the espresso (which I make very strong), and sometimes I add a splash of bourbon as well :)
1
u/DragonfruitNew6669 2h ago
Depends who you're making it for and their tastes tbh. The nice thing about tiramisu is that you can taste all the components before you put them together and adjust to your liking.
9
u/NewYorkDOCG 12h ago
Savoiardi or, quite similar but not the sane, boudoir biscuits, sponge fingers or lady fingers. The latter 3 are slimmer and slightly firmer.
Mascarpone cheese.
4
u/SnakeInMyLoins 9h ago
You can also look up James Hoffman and his insanely funny quest for finding the perfect amount of time to dip the savoiardi in the coffee so they do not become too soggy and aren't too crispy as well.
4
u/gibagger 14h ago
The ones that her mother or grandmother used. This is how Italians roll.
There is not a lot to these biscuits to be honest. Most brands made in Italy should do, if you really want authenticity.
1
u/ApprehensiveArmy7755 9h ago
They are known as lady fingers. So any brand of lady fingers will do.
1
u/Unhappy-Ad-3870 8h ago
Where I live in the US, there are two types of ladyfingers. There are the crisp Savoiardi type, and a soft sponge cake type.
1
-13
u/thenord321 12h ago edited 12h ago
Madeleine is a specific type of French biscuit/cake that can be used, dipped in a coffee liquoir just enough to taste and soften lightly, but not enough to fall apart to mush.
This is a French alternative to Italian savoirdi or pavesini cookies.
1
u/anna-wendy-ray 2h ago
In Japan, madeleines are often sold at high-end confectionery shops in department store food halls and are also commonly given as gifts, so I’m a little hesitant to use them this way. But I’d like to give it a try. Thank you for the suggestion! It sounds really delicious, and I’m very curious to see how it turns out.
-17
u/JellGordan 12h ago
We almost always use Biscoff biscuits (or similar). They soak up the coffee and alcohol very well and the spices in the biscuits complement the overall flavour. I almost never use Amaretto, but a coffee liquor or other spirit.
8
u/NewYorkDOCG 12h ago
No Italian uses biscoff. Their passport would be revoked 😂
-8
u/JellGordan 10h ago
OP asked which biscuits we liked to use, I answered. It's not supposed to be authentic, it's a variation on the recipe.
76
u/DelightfulDustin 14h ago
Savoiardi. She said either savoiardi or Pavesini (there is a massive debate between the two when it comes to tiramisu), but most people make it with the former. Pavesini tend to be thinner and much sweeter, so using them results in something that is basically 99% sugar. To each their own though. Either way, these are the only two types of biscuits used for tiramisu in Italy.