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Tiramisu fiasco

 
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Father Ignatius



Joined: 07 Apr 2007
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 12:10 pm    Post subject: Tiramisu fiasco Reply with quote

I was making tiramisł for the first time, and happened to google up http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/tiramisu_recipe.htm.

I got to the point where it says "3. In a stand mixer (like a KitchenAid) if you have one, whisk cooled zabaglione and mascarpone cheese together until well incorporated and smooth. I don't have a KitchenAide so I would mix in a bowl with a whisk by hand. I suppose you could try an electric mixer, but DO NOT overmix or the mascarpone will break and become granular."

I added the cooled, thick, gooky, terrific-tasting zabaglione to the thick, gooky mascarpone in the bowl of my food processor, and give it a whirr to get them mixed. The mixture immediately became very liquid, with a consistency like drinking yoghurt. It still hadn't set after six experimental hours in the freezer.

Q. What the hell happened?

Q. There was no granularity, but can this possibly be what it means for mascarpone to "break" (there was no curds-and-whey type separation)?

Since then, I've read a bunch more tiramisł recipes and, at this point, they tend to say something like "Stir (but not beat)..." but they don't say why not.

Q. Why not?

<rant>

Q. What is it with recipe-writers that they do stuff like this, without saying why?

It seems to me that such recipes are designed (you should pardon the abuse of the term) in such a way that you can't make them successfully by simply following the instructions, allowing the authors to wag their heads and murmur sagely about the need for experience, whereas it seems to me perfectly attainable to specify an effective algorithm.

</rant>

It's been suggested to me that I "overbeat the cheese mixture".

Q. Is "overbeating the cheese mixture" a recognised kitchen issue to which all experienced cooks everywhere are alive?

Q. What, in terms comprehensible to a fully qualified anal-retentive engineer on the Asperger's spectrum, is "overbeating the cheese mixture"?

It's been suggested that, since I knew the zabaglione was terrific-tasting, that some of my saliva must have been in the mixture. I don't think so, as transferring zabaglione from bowl to mouth per fingertip would not have this effect, and I'm sure I'd remember spitting in the bowl, but:

Q. Really? A fingertip's worth of saliva can total a kilogram-plus of ingredients just like that?


TIA
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curryman



Joined: 25 Aug 2009
Posts: 8

PostPosted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 3:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Q. What the hell happened?


1. I have never experienced mascarpone breaking into curds and whey. I just whisk it till it loosens up and is ready to receive other ingredients.

2. Mascarpone is highly fatty and fat will destroy all the bubbles and structure you worked so hard to achieve in the zabaglione if they get mixed too thoroughly/vigourously. While the lecithin of the egg yolks are highly stabilizing, nevertheless, it cannot withstand the challenge of a bashing from fat.

3. Furthen loosen the mascarpone by a few tbsps of the zabaglione first. Then gently fold in the rest.

4. Check the fat content of the mascarpone. Make sure it is 70% or more. The higher the fat, the lower the moisture, the thicker the end product.

From experience, I noticed that a highly sugared syrup or liquid caramel doesn't solidify even in the freezer. Since the recipe doesn't have that level of sugar, the only other possibility I can think of is that the mascarpone may have enzymes that "eat" and liquify the whole solution.
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Andyson11



Joined: 28 Nov 2011
Posts: 2

PostPosted: Mon Nov 28, 2011 11:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well this is actually very interesting.....i wonder what will happen if i do things like this for myself.....will there be any difference? let me try this.
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yocona



Joined: 18 Mar 2011
Posts: 47

PostPosted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 2:30 pm    Post subject: Re: Tiramisu fiasco Reply with quote

Father Ignatius wrote:

I added the cooled, thick, gooky, terrific-tasting zabaglione to the thick, gooky mascarpone in the bowl of my food processor, and give it a whirr to get them mixed. The mixture immediately became very liquid, with a consistency like drinking yoghurt. It still hadn't set after six experimental hours in the freezer.

Did you actually try assembling the tiramisu? My tiramisu recipe produces a very loose custard, yet the finished dessert sets up fine.

Someone mentioned possible enzymes in the mascarpone. I don't know about that, but I do know that eggs contain a starch-loving enzyme that will ruin the consistency of a custard. If you don't cook the custard to at least 190F, the a-amalyse enzymes will still be active. They will party hearty in your lovely custard, and it will never set up properly.
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