Ellie Bouhadana’s Tiramisu With Amaretto and Toasted Hazelnuts

August 06, 2024 by Juna Xu

Welcome to Put on a Spread, a recipe series that takes you inside the kitchens – and dining rooms – of some of our favourite home cooks. For this instalment, Melbourne-based chef Ellie Bouhadana, shares her recipe for a simple and delectable tiramisu with Amaretto and toasted hazelnuts.

Luxuriously rich cream layers, hints of espresso, bursts of rum and Amaretto, delicately soaked ladyfingers, crunchy hazelnuts and a light dusting of chocolate — what's not to love about a tiramisu?

Ellie Bouhadana's version of the classic Italian dish is shockingly simple to make, enjoyable to construct and it tastes even better if you make it ahead of time (that's if you can resist from eating a spoonful before your guests arrive!).

It's an intense yet incredibly refined dessert that says you're nailing adulthood.

Serves 4-5

Ingredients

250ml good quality strong coffee (I make mine with a heaped tbsp of coffee as I like a strong tasting tiramisu, however, if you prefer a more subtle flavour, 1 ½ tsp should be fine)
½ tbsp dark rum
1 ½ tbsp Amaretto
3 egg yolks
100g caster sugar
500g mascarpone
1 cup heavy cream
400g packet Savoiardi sponge fingers
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely crushed (you can do this with a mortar and pestle, a knife or with a food processor, but make sure to keep some larger pieces for a lovely texture)
Cocoa powder for dusting

Method

Make the coffee and allow it to cool until just warm, then add the rum and Amaretto.

Beat the yolks with 75g of the sugar until it’s very pale yellow and creamy and about doubled in volume. A slight ribbon should fall from the whisk attachment (or beaters). Transfer this mixture to a large bowl.

Wipe clean the same bowl you mixed the sugar and egg yolk in and now whip the cream and remaining 25g of sugar until it creates soft, medium peaks. Add the mascarpone and continue to whip until it creates a soft, spreadable mixture with medium peaks. Gently fold the mascarpone mixture into the sweetened egg yolks until combined.

Working one at a time, dip each sponge finger into the just warm coffee/liqueur mix so that they are moist but not soft, and then arrange in a single layer in the bottom of a glass dish (or you can also make individual tiramisu in small glasses). Pour over half the mascarpone mixture onto the sponge fingers and spread it out evenly with a spatula, then dust the surface with cocoa and sprinkle over the toasted hazelnuts.

Now, make a second layer of sponge fingers, repeating the same process of dipping each one in coffee, then arranging them over the cream. Pour over the remaining mascarpone cream and smooth the surface with a spatula.

Cover your dish (or glasses) with cling wrap. Let it chill in the fridge for at least four hours, or even better, overnight. Before serving, dust it heavily with more cocoa powder.