The chestnut tiramisu is one of my favorite variations of the classic tiramisu. There are many versions, and this chestnut tiramisu recipe is very simple to prepare and does not require marron glacé. You can use either fresh or leftover dried chestnuts from other preparations,
If you like fall desserts, don’t forget to read the recipe
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 5 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
- Energy 780.73 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 105.17 (g) of which sugars 62.56 (g)
- Proteins 14.08 (g)
- Fat 35.77 (g) of which saturated 17.64 (g)of which unsaturated 4.41 (g)
- Fibers 11.00 (g)
- Sodium 229.76 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 150 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for 4 people:
- 2.65 oz sugar
- 1 package ladyfingers
- 8.82 oz mascarpone
- 2 eggs (medium)
- 3.53 oz sugar
- 2 cups coffee
- to taste unsweetened cocoa powder
- to taste salt
- 1.27 cups milk
- 5.29 oz chestnuts
Tools
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Pot 2 qt
- 1 Blender / Mixer
Preparation
Here are the steps to follow to prepare the chestnut tiramisu, the trick is in the homemade chestnut cream.
To prepare a good chestnut tiramisu, start by making the chestnut cream. If the chestnuts are fresh, you can simply cut a cross on the rounded side. If they are dry and can be peeled, you can boil them directly in the milk.
Place a small pot with the milk on low heat; it should cook gently and not boil, to prevent it from rising too much and spilling out of the pot.
The cooking takes about 15-20 minutes, depending on whether the chestnuts are fresh or dry. It might also require adding more milk if it gets completely absorbed during cooking.
The chestnuts are ready when they are soft and there’s some hazelnut-colored chestnut-flavored milk in the pot.
Put the chestnuts into the immersion blender’s glass and add some milk, not all of it, start blending, and add more milk gradually until you get a creamy, silky consistency similar to a mousse.
Now let’s start preparing the actual tiramisu. Separate the yolks from the egg whites, making sure no yolk traces remain in the whites, or it will be very difficult to whip them well.
It’s best to use room-temperature eggs as they whip better!
Beat the eggs with half of the sugar using an electric mixer until you get a frothy, dense cream of a light yellow color.
In another bowl, beat the mascarpone with the remaining sugar until you get a soft cream, add the beaten egg, and mix well until you achieve a soft and thick cream.
At this point, whip half of the egg whites until they become a thick, frothy cream. To test whether the egg whites are properly whipped, try turning the bowl upside down… if nothing falls out, they are well whipped.
Alternatively, to avoid making a mess, check if peaks or curls form in the bowl, indicating the egg whites are properly whipped.
Combine the egg whites with the cream and gently fold them in a little at a time by mixing from the bottom to the top using a spoon. This step is crucial to avoid deflating the egg whites and to achieve a frothy and airy cream.
Arrange the ladyfingers soaked in coffee as the base for the tiramisu, place the chestnut cream on top in a generous layer, and finish with the mascarpone cream.
Create multiple layers until you reach the edge of the dish or container you decided to use. For a delicious tiramisu, I recommend at least 2 layers, 3 are ideal!
Your chestnut tiramisu is ready!
Plating Tips:
For an elegant presentation of the chestnut tiramisu, you can follow the photo. Use the ladyfingers as the base of the dessert on which to alternate dollops of chestnut cream with dollops of mascarpone cream. Create a couple of layers and dust with cocoa powder just before serving.
Wine Pairing for Chestnut Tiramisu:
Pairing tiramisu with wine is always one of the most challenging, so I recommend serving this dessert with a good cup of coffee.
