How To Make Traditional Or Vegan Cannabis-Infused Tiramisu

TWO TASTY TIRAMISU RECIPES

Tiramisu is a delicious light coffee-infused dessert whose Italian name translates as “pick me up” or “cheer me up”. The classic tale has Roberto Linguinotto creating tiramisu at his restaurant “Le Beccherie” sometime in the sixties. This is questioned though as very similar cakes date back to the seventeenth century. One thing for sure is that the word tiramisu first appeared in print for the first time in the eighties.

Making a cannabis infused tiramisu turns the classic pick me up into a coffee flavoured “pick me up and up and up”. The vegan and traditional recipes both have that distinctive fluffy mouthfeel that first made the dessert so popular. Adding cannabinoids to the mix is a contemporary twist that also adds a distinctive fluffy brainfeel. This will be a top ten dessert for coffee loving edibles fans.

The beauty of tiramisu is that it is really a style of cake rather than a definite recipe. Using other bakes of biscuit or styles of bread. Different flavoured liqueurs and styles of cheese or replacing coffee with other flavours means limitless taste and texture sensations. These recipes are for the classic coffee-flavoured style that once mastered can have variations as brave as your palate wants to get.

THE DAY BEFORE

Prior to making your marijuana upgraded tiramisu you will need to infuse some whipping cream with cannabinoids. This is far from difficult.

YOU WILL NEED

• A medium sized pan
• 1¾ cups of cream
• 2g of decarboxylated marijuana (ground as fine as possible or extract of similar strength)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place all the cream and cannabis or extract in the saucepan and place over a low heat.
2. Stir continuously until the cannabis has dissolved into the cream. Do not scald the cream!
3. Leave to cool in the fridge.
4. Once cream has cooled use the beater to whip it until it forms firm peaks. Now it is ready for the tiramisu.

THE CLASSIC TIRAMISU

INGREDIENTS

• 6 egg yolks
• 1 cup of sugar-caster sugar works best
• 1¼ cups of mascarpone cheese
• 1¾ cups cannabis infused heavy whipping cream
• 400g of Italian ladyfinger biscuits
• 1 cup of cold espresso; the choice of roast is entirely up to you
• ½ cup of coffee flavoured or dark liqueur; Kahlua works well, dark rum is delicious and an old bourbon gives a real zing
• 1 tablespoon of cacao powder to dust

HARDWARE

• Tiramisu can be made in a round bowl or square dish and is equally well served individually in parfait glasses or tumblers. Glass is ideal. Part of the tiramisu allure is the attractive layering, but don’t stress, ceramic or metal will do splendidly.
• Bain-marie. Either a purpose-built double boiler or a bowl suspended over a saucepan of gently boiling water.
• Wooden or plastic mixing spoon, not metal
• 2 medium sized mixing bowls
• Hand or electric beater

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Make a zabaglione. Place the egg yolks and the sugar together in the bain-marie and combine. Continuously stir with the wooden or plastic spoon. Make sure no mixture sets on the bowl surface. The quality zabaglione top tip is to take it easy. Make sure the water in the bain-marie is gently simmering not boiling madly. The trick is to not cook and scramble the egg yolks, but to slowly transform them with gentle heat. The sugar and egg yolks will combine into a thick pale yellow sauce that has the slightest fizzy texture. Set aside to cool.
2. Fold in the room temperature mascarpone cheese.
3. Fold in the infused whipped cream. Set aside while doing steps 4, 5, and 6.
4. Combine espresso and liqueur together in the other bowl.
5. Dip the ladyfinger biscuits in the coffee liqueur mix (don’t soak them!) and line the bottom of your chosen vessel. The hard thing here is to not just eat all the biscuits.
6. Spoon in some of the zabaglione mix then another layer of liqueur-dipped biscuits. Repeat step 5 & 6 until all ingredients are used.
7. Refrigerate for at least four hours. Overnight is best to be sure the whole concoction solidifies thoroughly.
8. Dust with cacao powder and serve straight up or drizzled with a sauce. Berry is delicious and a citrus coulis really makes the zabaglione fizz and sing.

VEGAN & PALEO TIRAMISU

There are three layers to this smooth and rich animal, gluten and dairy-free tiramisu.

HARDWARE

• A food processor. Top vegan tip: Invest in a good quality food processor from the very beginning. They can be expensive, but a restaurant quality processor will last you a lifetime and you will use it extensively. They are typically very simple, no nonsense, easy to clean stainless steel machines without a lot of silly attachments. Just a lot of torque and sharp blades that will last you for decades.
• Various bowls for soaking
• 25cm square cake tin, (glass, metal or ceramic)
• Spatula

INGREDIENTS

THE LADYFINGER LAYER

• 1 cup of walnuts
• 1½ cups of pitted Medjool dates
• 40ml of cooled espresso coffee
• 2 tablespoons of liquefied coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon of liquefied cannabis infused coconut oil 
• 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of sea salt

THE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE LAYER

• ¾ cup of walnuts soaked in water for 2 hours and drained well
• ¾ cup of raw cashews soaked in water for 2 hours and drained well
• ¾ cup pitted Medjool dates
• 6 tablespoons of maple syrup
• 6 tablespoons of unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 2 tablespoons of liquefied coconut oil
• 3 tablespoons of raw cacao powder
• ½ tablespoon of unsulphured blackstrap molasses 
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons of espresso coffee
• Pinch of sea salt

THE CRÈME LAYER

• ½ cup raw cashews soaked in water and drained
• ¼ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 2 tablespoons of liquefied coconut oil 
• 2 tablespoons of maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Using the ingredients for the ladyfinger layer use the food processor to first render the walnuts into a fine powder. This is where quality shows with a food processor. Extra torque and super sharp blades aerate the nut meal and improve texture considerably. Slowly add the rest of the ingredients until a sticky dough forms. Remove the dough and press evenly into the bottom of the cake tin. Place in the freezer while doing step 2.
2. Use the food processor to combine all the ingredients from the mousse list until smooth and creamy. Pour over the base layer. Tap the sides of the pan to make sure things are even. Return the pan to the freezer. Make sure it is sitting level! Wait an hour before step 3.
3. Using the food processor again combine all the crème layer ingredients until smooth. Gently spoon the crème onto the mousse layer. This is why an hour wait was necessary—to prevent the crème from sinking into the mousse. Place back in the freezer for at least four hours or preferably make it the day before serving.
4. Let the mousse thaw for at least 10 minutes, then cut into pieces, dust with cacao powder and serve.

Both of these tasty infused treats can be the edible surprise at the end of a dinner party. They could be a lovely light finish to an edibles banquet. They could be a welcome and delicious pick me up at any time of day. Enjoy your elevated tiramisu.