I haven't been keeping close watch but I think that this is the first pastry that we've done from Italy. Tiramisu has an interesting origin. Legend has it that a restaurant in Italy had a brothel upstairs. The girls requested something to help keep them going through the long, late hours. The chef took various scraps and put together sponge cake soaked in espresso, layered it with mousse rich with mascarpone cheese and added some chocolate. I don't know if it was the world's first energy food but I like the story.Our tiramisu has a band of dark chocolate around the outside which obscures the layers of sponge and mousse but it gives it a nice polished look. If you ever get this in a restaurant, disregard how easy it is to do the band and gladly fork over the $12. What's inside that band is worth it.
Check out my tempered chocolate filigrees. There is a slight improvement from a couple of months ago.
