Things that astonish me (and chocolate chip tiramisu)

I've been in Rome for three weeks now and some things continue to astonish me every day. 

This is my view! My actual, genuine view from my bedroom if I go and stick my head out the window. Surely they reserve this sort of spectacle for actual residents, or the Pope, or something. It boggles me to the core every single time I wake up. 


I commute past the Vatican. I commute! Every day! Past St Peter's Basilica! What is this nonsense? I am not the sort of person who commutes, I assure you. I am more your 'walk to work' type. There's a difference, trust. But now I get up, swan breezily out of my apartment block, maybe pick up a 'caffe con latte' en route and I get the train. We're commuting, folks! And I get to gawp like a daytripper as I do it. La vita è bella, indeed. 

And tiramisù. Tiramisù will never fail to astonish me. Especially when, deliciously, if not entirely traditionally, it's filled with dark chocolate chunks. I promise, this isn't just another thinly veiled effort to get more chocolate into my already saturated diet. The chunks provide a texture contrast, a burst of intense flavour which cocoa or flaked chocolate just on top can only aspire to. Go on, tiramisù purists, I dare you. And if there's pudding left over, the chunks mean that when the rest of the bowlful has dissolved into that gooey creamy mess that homemade tiramisù is wont to become after a night in the fridge, you still get a little something extra to chew on. 
We had a little dinner party recently and someone brought this, and now I bring it to you. Because that is sharing, and sharing is caring, right? Plus, I'm not sharing my real tiramisù. Nooo way. That leftover in the fridge? Mine. 

I will happily testify to the healing powers of chocolate chunk tiramisù 'soup' at 11am. Happily. 

Chocolate chunk tiramisù 

Yes, alright, they're used shop bought savoiardi biscuits (ladyfingers). It was late, alright and we really, really needed some pudding. Next time, I promise. Promise. 

1 pack of (shame, shame shame) shop bought savoiardi biscuits(try to get 36-38 in a pack)

500g pack of mascarpone cheese*
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup of white sugar** 
vanilla extract***

1 cup double cream, beaten until stiff

1 cup fresh coffee****
a tablespoonful of brown sugar
coffee liqueur

cocoa powder
100g dark chocolate, chopped, or 100g dark chocolate chunks/chips

Phew, quite a list. This feeds an army though, since you only need a tiny amount. 
*In the UK, I may make this but here mascarpone out-values cream quite neatly
**Yes, we're on cups here for the foreseeable future. Who knew that in a kitchen with multiple (we're talking more than 4) cat shaped teapots, there are no weighing scales. My landlady needs an Ikea, pronto!
***or whatever your particular vanilla poison happens to be. Marsala is more usual in the zabaglione part of a tiramisù but I like to be able to navigate stairs post-dessert.
**** Obviously it's better if its fresh brew, and double points for using a moka,  but I won't tell if you use instant. 

1) Make your zabaglione. Beat the egg yolks with the vanilla extract (or marsala if you like your pudding with a side order of "fall down all four flights of stairs later") and white sugar in a water bath over simmering water until its big, fluffy and in your face. Add a few tablespoonfuls to your mascarpone to get it loose and limber, then beat the rest in with a whisk. Work it, baby. Beat in your beaten cream.
2) Mix fresh coffee, a tablespoonful of brown sugar and a healthy shot of coffee liqueur (use double measures here, since we economised on the marsala!) in a shallow flat bowl or basin. Dip savoiardi briefly, oh so briefly into the mixture.
3) Line a baking dish with soaked savoiardi, then top with half the zabaglione. Scatter liberally with all the chocolate chunks. Repeat the dipped savoiardi and mascarpone steps.
4) Finish the top with lots of cocoa powder 

 

 You can't see the chunks, but they're in there. Watching. Waiting. 

I need more tiramisù.

I'm already spinning with new combiantions, variations and twists. White chocolate chunks with limoncello? Chocolate chunks and hazlenuts with nut liqueur? Strawberries with fizz?

See you later. I may be here a while. x