Peach, Pistachio & Blueberry Tiramisu (Including Thermomix Preparation Tips)
We made this recently for a pre-Christmas Christmas lunch we had for our Demi, before she moved back to Melbourne after her time in the UK, and it was the perfect summer dessert!
Our dear friend and Firenze-based tour guide, Linda Sorgiovanni, shared this amazing recipe with her Facebook & Instagram followers (@italycustomized / www.italycustomized.com), and I couldn’t wait to whip it up as soon as summer’s beautiful yellow peaches started to arrive at our green grocer. And they have!!
Linda is a Perth-born Australian/Italian dual citizen who has made Firenze her home for the past 18 years and is our go-to local guide and Firenze Font of Knowledge for her “Aperitivo Food & Wine Experience” that our Small Group “Discover Tuscany” travellers to Firenze get to experience with her!
Even as much of Italy has been in lock-down for most of the year, Linda has continually been sharing some amazing “virtual” travel content with her clients from all over the world. One of her virtual Firenze walks was with Chef Sharon Oddson Gargani, who authored “Once Upon a Tuscan Table” from which this recipe has been adapted.
So if you are looking for an Italian-travel fix, please support Linda by following her amazing video posts and #TGIF-Aperitive Time sessions on Facebook and even looking her up when we are next able to get to magical Firenze!
Buon appetito!!
Adapted recipe from ‘Once Upon a Tuscan Table’ by Sharon Oddson Gargani
(Serves 6 to 8)
6 yellow peaches (See Nico’s Tip*)
Juice from 1 lemon
3 cups water
1/4 cup Amaretto liqueur
90g sugar
3 x 59g eggs
(60g) 3 tablespoons sugar
250g Mascarpone cheese
1 tbsp brandy or light rum (optional)
125g Savoiardi Ladyfinger Biscuits
1/2 cup unsalted pistachios, finely chopped
1 cup fresh blueberries, to garnish
(**Thermomix Method Tips)
- Peel six peaches, placing skins and pits in a saucepan. Cut peaches into 1/4 inch slices. Drizzle with lemon juice, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to assemble the tiramisu.
- Add water, amaretto and sugar to skins and pits in saucepan. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain mixture through a sieve into a bowl and set syrup aside to cool. Discard skins and pits.
- Separate egg yolks and whites into two mixing bowls. Beat whites with an electric mixer until they form stiff peaks. (You now they are ready when held in an inverted spoonful.
- Add 3 tablespoons sugar to yolks and beat with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gently whisk in mascarpone one dessertspoon at a time. Add brandy and whisk until mixed through. Gently fold in egg whites with large metal spoon.
- Spread a thin layer of the mascarpone cream mixture over the base of a 22cm x 22cm serving dish or similar.
- Place peach syrup into a shallow dish and quickly moisten biscuits, while setting them onto the serving dish in one layer. You may not need to use all of the peach syrup. (You could even assemble these up on individual plates or glasses if you prefer. Simply use 2 or 2 1/2 of soaked biscuits per serve.)
- Distribute refrigerated sliced peaches evenly over the layer of soaked Savoiardi biscuits.
- Spread remaining mascarpone mixture over the peach slices and then sprinkle over chopped pistachios and blueberries. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 5 hours) before serving.
*Nico’s Tip: You can make the Peach & Amaretto syrup ahead of time, and just eat or freeze the 6 peaches you have taken the skins and pits from. (The frozen peaches will be perfect for making Frozen Peach Bellini’s). The beautiful blush pink “Peach & Amaretto Syrup” can be kept in a sealed glass jar in the fridge for up to a week or so and used to add to glasses of sparkling wine; to prepare Bellini Cocktails; or drizzled over other fruit & ice cream whenever you’d like.
For Thermomix Users: Due to the small quantity of 3 egg whites used in this recipe, I find that the volume of egg whites is too small to use the Thermomix for. You could whisk the egg whites conventionally in a mixing bowl until they are stiff and firm. The egg yolk, sugar & mascarpone mixture can be prepared in the Thermomix however. Insert Butterfly into a clean & dry bowl. Add egg yolks and sugar and whisk for 3 min | SP4 until light and fluffy. While whisking at SP3, add mascarpone, 1 heaped tablespoon at a time, until evenly combined including the 1 tbsp of brandy or rum. Set into a large mixing bowl, then gently fold in reserved egg whites, one large spoonful at a time, with a large metal spoon, trying to keep as much air in the mixture as possible to keep it light & fluffy. Continue from Step 6 above to assemble Tiramisu.
Buon appetito!