Tiramisu using ricotta cheese instead of Mascarpone?

last year

I returned from Italy 2 weeks ago. While there, my tour group had tiramisu at least 4 times. I'm sure some of them were made with ricotta instead of mascarpone, though. They were lighter and not as rich: still delicious.

For a number of years I made my own tiramisu at home using home made mascarpone. In stores I can only find mascarpone in tiny little containers. I needed a LOT of it to make enough tiramisu for my family. So I took a basic cheesemaking course and started making my own. I have not made it now for 4 years, since my son's family moved away. It was too much work to make mascarpone for 3 people.

Now we all travel to his house for Christmas (and 3 birthdays). My son has asked that we try to make tiramisu once more: and again, it needs to be for 10 people. (I can't realistically make mascarpone at his house: the cheese needs to drain for a few days, there are kids running around, etc.)

Does anyone have a good recipe for tiramisu made with ricotta? Thank you!

Featured Answer

colleenoz

last year

If your post was deleted, it wasn't down to me, as I don't bother to report threads. If your were simply looking for a choice it was not clear from your post.

In any case, if you have found "tiramisu"recipes which contains no alcohol, coffee or raw eggs, they may be a nice dessert but they are not tiramisu. As @plllog says, coffee defines tiramisu- the name itself means "pick me up"- it was created as a pleasant caffeine boost. I heard an awarded Italian chef/restaurateur on the radio the other day asked if limoncello could be substituted for coffee and his answer was no, you could make it that way but it wouldn't be tiramisu.

It would be like substituting peaches for pumpkin in a pumpkin pie. You might get a nice pie, but it wouldn't be a pumpkin pie.

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Comments (20)

plllog
last year
Inspired by your post, I was looking around at recipes—just for grins, since I think you're looking for T&T—and I found this needlessly complicated in the instructions, but authoritative-seeming post, which might be useful to you, if you want to adapt the process for the cheese to your recipe. They sieve the ricotta to make it smoother and combine it with whipped cream. https://www.giallozafferano.com/recipes/Ricotta-tiramisu.html
party_music50
last year
I haven’t made tiramisu in ages, but I used to just substitute cream cheese for mascarpone. It’s a recommended sub — and they also suggest thinning it with heavy cream or even milk, though I never did. I recall using a combo of cream cheese and ricotta.
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lisaam
last year
I’ve never thought about this substitution before, but Pillog’s suggestion was my inclination. If it is convenient for you, I do like TJ’s ricotta. I made ricotta one time and hated it— just tasted like sour milk.
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
last year
It doesn't actually taste of coffee imo. My Italian son in law makes it and the first time I had it I was convinced it contained some kind of alcohol (it doesn't) but never guessed coffee. Not that I'd mind coffee. It's one of my favourite flavours.
petalique
last year
I love tiramisu and probably have at least 8 recipes for it. I seldom make it because it is rich and I don’t know too many people who are wild about it.

The recipe I make is from the Williams-Sonoma Desset cookbook. I like it because, aside from being delicious, it does not rely on those Italian biscuits (which I don’t want to lool for or pay for and which I suspect would get soggy. I am pretty sure it uses marscapone and perhaps ricotta. As soon as I get back to 125 Lbs., I will make it again. It is heavenly and beautiful.

BTW there are lots of good recipes in this cookbook.
petalique
last year
last modified: last year
Where is coffee referred to for tiramisu?

Interesting because of ATK, Jack Bishop had a little ”which brownie tastes more chocolatey” quiz. The winner was the brownie (recipe) that included espresso powder. Pretty much an espresso would would work to enhance the chocolate flavor. Their favorite was Civilized brand espresso powder. That brand has a lot of negative reviews on A.

When I want espresso powder, I use Medaglia D'Oro.
petalique
last year
last modified: last year
If you are speaking to me, I know what espresso is. My question was where is espresso or coffee mentioned in the recipe discussed and which others later referred to (“coffee”).
petalique
last year
Coffee is referred to in the recipe link offered by plllog. Not within this page.
petalique
last year
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I am pretty sure that most tiramisu recipes want espresso or coffee.
plllog
last year
Coffee/espresso is definitional to tiramisu. You can use the basic structure and with a different soak, like orange juice, but it wouldn't be tiramisu. Whereas I think replacing the mascarpone with ricotta and cream sounds fine.

Using coffee or espresso powder to enhance chocolate cake is an old trick. It doesn't taste like mocha. It just boosts the complexities in the flavor.
petalique
last year
I have a chocolate cake recipe from the 1940s that calls for coffee — my grandmother’s recipe. Makes a great layer cake w ganache.
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
last year
I make a delicious chocolate mousse which also calls for coffee. It's a classic chocolate enhancer.
colleenoz
last year
Sherry, I have to ask- why did you even bother to post in this thread? Fine, you don't like coffee, but you don't need to post on a thread about a coffee based dessert yukking everyone else's yum.
aziline
last year
What recipe are you using? Lots of American ones have heavy cream but I believe a true Italian recipe uses egg whites.

https://www.lacucinaitaliana.com/recipe/cakes-and-desserts/classic-tiramisu-in-a-baking-dish?refresh_ce=
party_music50
last year
I made mine with coffee/espresso and kahlua. :)
lizbeth-gardener
last year
last modified: last year
I would love a T & T recipe for tiramisu. I love it, but have never made it myself. And just to comment on the above remarks, most recipes that I see use both expresso & a liqueur to dip the ladyfingers in.

Did you find a solution for the mascorpone, Linnea?
Islay Corbel
last year
I love it but my husband hates coffee😒 so I make him a Nigella Lawson recipe which he loves. Instead of dipping the biscuits into coffee and liqueur, you dip into a rum/milk mix. Just as delicious and a real "pick me up" lol.
party_music50
last year
lizbeth-gardener, I'm surprised that no one has posted a T&T recipe. It's been ages since I've made tiramisu, and I remember making layers of sponge cake, rather than using ladyfingers. I cannot remember where the recipe came from, but it would have been a place like the Creative Cooking cookbooks or a cooking magazine like Cuisine, Bon Appetit, etc. Finding ladyfingers was/is impossible around here... I've never seen them for sale. LMK if you want me to try to chase down the recipe.
Sherry8aNorthAL
last year
last modified: last year
When I posted before, since deleted, thanks to Colleenoz, I was wanting a recipe with no alcohol(hubby cannot have) and no coffee(I do not like and he would not). I can also say no raw eggs.

I have since found those recipes online, and there are many, People do not want to serve caffeine, alcohol, and raw eggs to children and adults who should not eat those things.

ETA: I was not yucking, I was wanting a choice.! It is there whether Colleen thinks so or not.

Tiramisu using ricotta cheese instead of Mascarpone?

colleenoz

Comments (20)

plllog

party_music50

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