Biscotti Tiramisu Recipe and Grandmother’s Tales

This Biscotti Tiramisu Recipe was my Great Grandmother’s recipe. As you know, my grandmother spent a lot of time with us during holidays and birthdays while I was growing up. She’d often bake biscotti and other Sicilian cookies like Cuccidati with my mother. But sometimes she’d make something new and tell us a story about it.

My grandmother, who was born and raised in Partenico, Sicily, and had a mother from Siena, was quite particular about food. Her upbringing instilled in her a wealth of knowledge in cooking and baking, which she would share with us through stories about her culinary creations.

For example, I remember her telling us a story about Tiramisu. She told us that before it was called tiramisu, it was known as “dolce al cucchiaio” because you have to eat it with a spoon. Of course, this was all in Italian, as my grandmother did not speak a stitch of English.

She went on to tell us that when she was growing up, tiramisu was made with whatever you had in the house. It was a layered dessert, and her mother would use cantucci. She’d dunk the cantucci into a combination of espresso and marsala and then use it to form a base. She also told us that back in those days, mascarpone cheese wasn’t always available, so they would make and use ricotta cheese and custard instead.

My grandmother always emphasized that baked goods taste better when you take the extra time to make things from scratch, like ricotta. Unlike me, who bought ricotta cheese at the supermarket, she would make her own. Her love and care in making every ingredient from scratch truly made her dishes extraordinary.

Anyway, the end result was nothing less than incredibly delicious, just like many of her other dishes. I can still picture her in our kitchen, her hands moving deftly as she mixed ingredients, and the aroma of freshly baked goods filling the air. There was something magical in the way she brought stories to life through her baking, connecting us to our heritage and to each other.

Biscotti Tiramisu Recipe

Ingredients:

8 x 4 casserole dish
24 almond biscotti
1 cup strong brewed espresso, cooled
1/4 cup of dry marsala (optional)
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup custard
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
Dark chocolate shavings (optional)

Instructions:

• Brew a fresh pot of espresso coffee. Set aside to until cool.
• In a shallow bowl, combine the cooled espresso and marsala.

Prepare the Ricotta Custard Mixture:

• In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta cheese and custard together.
• Add vanilla extract and continue mixing until smooth.

Dip the Biscotti:

• Dip each biscotti into the coffee mixture, ensuring it is well-soaked but not falling apart.
  Arrange a layer of dipped biscotti in the bottom of a serving dish.

Layer the Ricotta Custard Mixture:

• Spread half of the ricotta custard mixture over the layer of biscotti.
• Sprinkle a layer of cocoa powder over the ricotta mixture.
• Repeat the process with another layer of dipped biscotti and top with the remaining ricotta custard mixture.

Chill:

• Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight for best results.

Serve:

• Before serving, dust the top with cocoa powder and sprinkle with dark chocolate shavings if desired.

Serve chilled and enjoy this delightful twist on a classic dessert!

Tips:

For added flavor, you can sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on top along with the cocoa powder.
If you don’t have ricotta cheese, you can use mascarpone or a mixture of cream cheese and heavy cream as a substitute.

This Biscotti Tiramisu is a delicious and unique dessert that combines the crunchy goodness of almond biscotti with the creamy richness of ricotta and custard. Perfect for any occasion, it’s sure to impress your friends and family!