Certified natural chef Ceri Jones shares her winning formula for a tiramisu, promising half the calories of a regular tiramisu and a third of the fat!
The tiramisu is lightened by the combination of ricotta and Greek yoghurt (rather than the mascarpone used traditionally). Ricotta, an Italian soft cheese provides the flavour; and thick full fat Greek yoghurt, the texture. Just as in traditional Tiramisu, egg yolks and whipped whites are folded in too – the fluffy texture they help create is almost mousse-like. It doesn’t taste exactly the same as traditional tiramisu, but enjoy it for its creamy, coffee, chocolatey self. You can make your own savoiardi (lady fingers) from scratch, but a plain sponge will do or gluten free savoiardi.
Ceri has also used a combination of unrefined granulated sugars in this recipe. She used white xylitol in the biscuits, as they give a better colour and structure, whereas coconut sugar or rapadura works better in the mousse for a rich caramel look. Unrefined sugars can be a bit pesky to work with when stirring into liquid such as yoghurt, so if you have access to a coffee or spice grinder, make use of it – the texture of your dessert will improve!
A lighter tiramisu…
Serves 6 in individual glasses or a large bowl
Ingredients:
- 3 eggs, separated
- 60g xylitol / rapadura / coconut palm sugar, finely ground.
- 375g ricotta
- 200g full fat Greek yoghurt
- 200-300 ml cold strong coffee (decaf if you wish)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 24 gluten free shop bought or homemade savaoirdi biscuits* (see below for homemade method)
- 60g 85% dark chocolate, finely chopped
- cocoa powder for dusting
Method:
- Mix the egg yolks, with the sugar and whisk with an electric whisk till light and fully.
- Clean the beaters and in a clean bowl, whisk the whites till soft peaks form.
- Stir the ricotta cheese and the yogurt into the sugary yolks until well combined. Fold in the egg whites.
- Pour the cold coffee into a small bowl with the vanilla extract. Dip the sponge fingers in the coffee and then place in the base of a rectangular serving dish (30 x 22cm and at least 5cm deep) or use individual dishes. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture on top, with the chopped chocolate.
- Repeat the process with the rest of the ingredients.
- Cover the dish with clingfilm and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 30 mins. Just before serving, dust the top with the cocoa powder, and any left over chocolate.
* For the biscuits, makes enough for above recipe.
- 3 eggs, separated
- tsp vanilla extract
- 100g xylitol sugar, divided
- pinch salt
- 75g gluten free flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- optional sugar for dusting.
- Pre-heat oven to 170°C (fan)
- Whisk the egg yolks with half of the sugar and the vanilla until pale and frothy. In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites until stiff, then whisk in the sugar and a pinch of salt.
- Fold the whites into the yolks, then fold in the flour till all combined. Transfer to a piping bag, then pipe out 1cm x 8cm ‘logs’ of batter onto a lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes till browned then remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
About Ceri Jones:
Ceri Jones is a certified natural chef, who combines a passion for healthful food and nutrition with a love of cooking, exploring new recipes with fresh, seasonal ingredients, and teaching | https://cerijoneschef.com/
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