Tiramisu: preserving the rich taste in a reformed Italian classic

Vegetarian Times, Dec, 2001 by Janet Cappiello Blake

--Colley Cibber, playwright, 1671-1757

If that is true, then you better be sure to pilfer our low-fat version of tiramisu--the cold, luscious Italian treat usually featuring a creamy layer of mascarpone and pound cake flavored with coffee and marsala wine.

The great thing about redoing tiramisu is that this dessert takes on countless forms in restaurants, so it can be tinkered with here and there without losing its charm. The version you luxuriate in at an Italian trattoria can be far different from the one served in an upscale pizza parlor.

But one thing all traditionally made tiramisus have in common: They are especially high in calories and fat. Some are made with plain cream cheese and egg yolks, while others stick with mascarpone--a super-rich Italian cream cheese--and whole eggs. They usually contain heavy cream, and some are made with pound cake, others with lighter-textured ladyfinger cookies.

With a few nips and tucks, however, we've managed to come up with a low-fat version that rivals any tiramisu you can find in a five-star restaurant. Ours features healthful ingredients such as soy milk, tofu and low-cholesterol egg substitute. That little bit of magic enabled us to bring the fat grams down from 41 to a mere 8 per serving.

Remember to let the luscious tastes in this lighter-than-air dessert meld once it's put together by setting it in the refrigerator for at least two hours. It's worth the wait.

The word tiramisu translates in Italian to "carry me up," and there's no question that our tiramisu is an uplifting ending to any low-fat meal.

8 SERVINGS

COFFEE SYRUP

1 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbs. instant decaffeinated
  coffee granules
1 Tbs. pure vanilla extract

CUSTARD FILLING

3 cups 1% vanilla soy milk
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup liquid fat-free egg product
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 oz. low-fat silken tofu, pureed
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 pkg. ladyfingers
2 Tbs. cocoa powder for dusting
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon for dusting

1. Make syrup: In small saucepan, bring
water to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in
sugar, instant coffee and vanilla extract.
Set aside.

2. Make custard filling: In top of double
boiler, whisk together soy milk, sugar,
egg product, flour and tofu. Set pan over
simmering (not boiling) water, and cook,
whisking constantly, until mixture thickens,
about 8 minutes. Stir in vanilla extract.
Remove pan from water, and let
cool. Cover, and refrigerate until chilled.

3. To assemble: Line a long rectangular
pate mold with plastic wrap. (Alternatively,
use a large, unlined souffle dish.) Place
half the ladyfingers in layer on bottom.
Brush ladyfingers with coffee syrup.

4. In small bowl, combine cocoa and cinnamon.
Spread half custard mixture on
top of ladyfingers. Sprinkle with some
cocoa-cinnamon mixture. Repeat with
remaining ladyfingers, syrup and custard,
topping custard with dusting of
cocoa-cinnamon mixture. Cover, and refrigerate
at least 2 hours before serving.

PER SERVING: 335 CAL; 13G PROT; 8G TOTAL FAT (1G
SAT. FAT); 53G CARB; 65MG CHOL; 153MG SOD;
0 FIBER
VT recipe        335 calories    8 grams fat
Typical recipe   639 calories   41 grams fat

Recipe adapted from The Taste for Living World Cookbook, by Beth Ginsberg and Mike Milken (Association for the Cure of Cancer of the Prostate, 1999).