Tiramisu is one of Mr. JOC’s top three favorite desserts, and he’s been asking me to make it for a long, long time. We both love matcha, so I decided to put a Japanese spin on this elegant dessert, Matcha Tiramisu (抹茶ティラミス).
Matcha Tiramisu – A Really Simple Dessert
Tiramisu is actually a very simple, easy-to-make dessert. Basically, this dessert involves two steps: Once done, this no-bake dessert just needs to be chilled before serving, and that’s it!
Here’s the Catch and What You Can Do
Everyone loves tiramisu at the restaurant but I always wondered why I rarely see the homemade versions at potlucks and dinner parties. Now I know why. The classic Italian Tiramisu includes raw eggs (both egg yolks and whites). If I was in Japan, I won’t be too concerned about consuming raw eggs; however, here in the U.S., they are not safe to consume due to the possible risk of salmonella. Now in order to avoid the possible risk, you have a few options.
Option 1: Use pasteurized eggs (which could be hard to find at your local grocery stores) Option 2: Pasteurize your own eggs (you can follow my recipe, but you’ll need an immersion circulator) Option 3: Swap egg whites with heavy cream (commonly practiced) and cook egg yolks till 160 ºF (71 ºC) (not so commonly practiced).
I thought I’d go with Option 3 as it sounds easier. Next, I’ll talk about what I learned from my experience.
2 Must-Have Kitchen Tools for Making Matcha Tiramisu
Option 3 didn’t turn out to be as simple as I expected, and here’s why. The tiramisu recipe requires a lot of whisking/beating. You have to beat the egg whites (or heavy cream) and you have to whisk the egg yolk mixture really fast while heating so it won’t become scrambled eggs. There is no rest in between once you start. At first, I thought my hand whisking would be good enough. Oh my gosh, after whisking vigorously for close to 10 minutes, I thought my arms were going to fall off. I had to switch over to my hand mixer which saved my life, seriously. You will also need an instant-read thermometer. Why such a fancy thermometer? It really comes down to prompt temperature control when you are mixing the egg mixture. Once the temperature of the egg yolks reaches 160 ºF (71 ºC), you want to immediately remove them from heat and stop it from further cooking. Otherwise, you will end up with scrambled eggs. I appreciate my thermometer even more after making Tiramisu. If you’re a big fan of tiramisu and want to make this recipe frequently, I highly recommend investing in these two kitchen tools.
Layering Matcha Tiramisu
Once you have the egg mixture ready, the rest of the preparation is super easy. There is no more arm work involved. If I may add one tip, I would suggest 3 layers instead of 2, especially if you are not into creamy desserts (like me). Adding extra ladyfingers gives more texture to the tiramisu. For 3 layers, you’ll need 36 ladyfingers (1.5 boxes). I think I’d like that better, but Mr. JOC is happy with the recipe as it is. JOC reader Merilda tried with 3 layers and her feedback is left in the comment below. Make sure to dust the matcha powder RIGHT BEFORE serving, so the matcha won’t absorb the moisture from the tiramisu and ruin the presentation. Speaking of matcha, it’s very important to use decent quality matcha for the obvious reason: beautiful green color and distinct matcha flavor. There are so many brands of matcha available online, and many of you asked me which one I recommend.
How to Make Individual-Serving Matcha Tiramisu
When I was going to make this recipe, I couldn’t decide if I want to serve Matcha Tiramisu in one big serving dish or individual serving dishes. Personally, I like the look of individual serving dishes as it shows the layers clearly. My glass containers actually came from Tiramisu that we bought from Costco. They are pretty useful when you make tiramisu or parfaits. Since many of you probably have a large serving dish, I created this recipe that works for both. If you’re making one single serving, then you’ll need an 8-inch-square baking dish (20 x 20 cm). If you have individual serving dishes (180 ml each), you will roughly need 8 of them. The layering process is exactly the same – you just need to cut the ladyfingers to fit into your individual containers. Whether you make one big Matcha Tiramisu or single-serving dishes, this dessert will be a hit! With an electric hand mixer and an instant-read thermometer, you’ll be fully equipped to make this delicious recipe to wow your guests! Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
