Tiramisu too Heavy - How to make it light

[babymushy]

Hi guys,

I tried making Tiramisu today but the mascapone cheese turns out too heavy.

I did not use Egg White as I am unable to beat them to a consistency that is correct manually.

I used Whipped Cream instead and icing sugar

Took Whipped Cream mixed in Icing Sugar and then folded that into the Cheese

What did I do wrong? The cheese was heavy and thick not light at all.

 

[Alix]

Can you post your whole recipe here and add the changes you made? I think based on the information you've provided that the answer lies with the egg white. It is intended to lighten the mascarpone cheese and make it less dense. You're not going to get the same effect with whipped cream. Perhaps you could borrow a neighbors egg beater or something for the next time around. A manual egg beater is pretty inexpensive as well, might be a good investment for you if you plan to make this again. Good luck, and post that recipe to get more troubleshooting ideas.

 

[Michael in FtW]

Here is a basic tiramisu recipe that can be done by hand with a wire whisk and a bowl - it will just take a little more (I lie - a LOT more) effort than using an electric mixer. I have made it that way (not this specific recipe but same basic idea) by hand ... gave me a good excuse to buy a cheap ($10-$15) electric hand mixer.

Like Alix said - it sounds like your recipe is using whipped egg whites to lighten the cheese. Whipped cream is not stable enough to do the same job the egg whites will. You can whip egg whites with a bowl and a wire whisk - you just have to use a bowl that is made from metal, glass or ceramic and wipe it down with a little vinegar on a paper towel to make sure there is no grease/oil residue on it; wash the wire whisk well and let sit in a glass of warm water with a little white vinegar in it, too, for 3-4 minutes to make sure it is grease/oil free and rinse with plain water and dry it off before you start - and you CAN NOT use either a plastic bowl or whisk. Then, go to town beating the whites - it does take time and effort. Or, also as Alix suggested, ask a neighbor if you can borrow their hand mixer for a little while.