In Jason Schreiber’s best-selling new cookbook, “Fruit Cake: Recipes for the Curious Baker” (William Morrow; $32.50), we learn that tiramisu is Italian for “pick me up,” and typically eaten with afternoon tea. What better way to lift your mood — morning, noon or night, frankly — than with Schreiber’s updated booze-soaked cake, which calls for chocolate, coffee, rum and bananas for extra flair. Schreiber provides a recipe for homemade ladyfingers, but store-bought are just fine, too.
Banana Tiramisu
Makes 12 to 16 servings
Ingredients
3 to 4 large ripe bananas, divided
3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1 cup mascarpone
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup freshly brewed strong coffee or espresso, cooled slightly
2 glugs dark rum, optional (but also not?)
20-ish crisp ladyfingers (recipe below), baked and cooled
4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed, divided
Directions
In a large bowl, mash the two ripest bananas with 2 tablespoons sugar, using a potato masher or fork, until very few lumps remain. Mash in the mascarpone.
In another large bowl, whip the cream and remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar until stiff peaks form. You can do it by hand; think how nice your forearms will be. Gently fold the whipped cream into the banana mixture.
In a shallow bowl, stir together the coffee and rum, if using.
Quickly dip some of the ladyfingers in the spiked coffee and use them to line the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish, breaking them as needed to form an even layer. It should take about 10. Evenly spread half the banana cream over the ladyfingers. Thinly slice the remaining banana and arrange the slices neatly over the cream, then generously dust everything with 2 teaspoons cocoa powder. Repeat the process with the remaining ladyfingers and banana cream.
Chill the tiramisu, covered, for at least 3 hours (or up to 2 days) before serving to allow time for the flavors to harmonize. Dust with the remaining 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder just before serving generous scoops.
This will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for up to two days.
Ladyfingers
Makes about 30 three-inch cookies
Ingredients
3 large eggs, separated
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar, divided
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon coarse salt
Directions
Heat the oven to 350 degrees, with racks in the lower third and middle positions. Line two 13-inch by 18-inch rimmed baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Gradually increase the speed of the mixer while slowly adding 1/4 cup sugar. Then continue whipping on high speed until firm peaks form, about 2 minutes longer. Scrape the meringue into a bowl and set aside.
Add the yolks, vanilla, salt and remaining ¼ cup sugar to the same mixer bowl and whip on high speed until the mixture is pale and thick, about 2 minutes. Stir about one third of the whipped egg whites into the yolk mixture to lighten, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites in two additions.
Sift about a third of the flour over the batter through a fine-mesh sieve and gently fold until mostly combined. Sift and fold in the remaining flour in two additions.
If you’re feeling fussy, transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip and pipe 3-inch-long cookies about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. If you’re feeling unscrupulous, use a couple of spoons or a spring-loaded scoop to drop 2-tablespoon (30-milliliter) mounds of batter; they won’t be fingers, but it will be OK.
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the cookies spring back when gently pressed, rotating and transposing the baking sheets halfway. Reduce the oven temperature to 175 degrees and continue baking for 20 minutes, opening the oven periodically to blow off some steam, or until the cookies are quite firm to the touch.
Remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow the ladyfingers to cool completely on them; the cookies will crisp up as they cool. Store the ladyfingers at room temperature in an airtight container for a week or more.
— From Jason Schreiber’s “Fruit Cake” (William Morrow, $32.50)
