Elephants eat the fruits from the Marula tree and there is a common belief that they get drunk from the fermented fruits, but that is far from the truth. The distillers have taken the elephant as their symbol and contributes generously to elephant conservation and even co-funds the Amarula Elephant Research Program.
"The Marula tree is indigenous to sub-equatorial Africa and its fruit can only be harvested in the wild. Steeped in legend and tradition, this wild tree is revered by African tribes as the marriage tree under whose fertile branches many an African princess has been joined in wedded bliss. The Marula tree is one of the most highly valued indigenous trees on the African continent, with a variety of uses that differ from tribe to tribe. Only the female Marula tree bears the succulent and exotic flavoured fruit which ripens to a light yellow, filling the air with an intense tropical fragrance that floats on the warm summer breeze and which attracts Africa’s giants of the bush, the elephant whose desire for the fruit is unlimited".(info Wikipedia)
Enough with the research, wouldn't you say??
Tiramisu is a classic Italian dessert and although I love Italian cooking, I have NEVER made this decadent dessert. I was looking at a Amarula advertisement in a magazine the other day and the idea started forming in my head....what if I made a classic Italian Dessert with an African twist... Traditionally, tiramisu is made with either brandy, coffee liqueur, marsala wine or cognac, so what was stopping me from using Amarula Liqueur....NOTHING!!!!
I got my original recipe from David Lebovitz' site, but I made a view changes....(my changes are in red) Please visit his site for lots more decadent sweet treats!
Amarula Tiramisu recipe - (I also doubled the entire recipe)
1/2 cup (125ml) espresso, at room temperature
2 tablespoons dark rum - omitted the rum
1 tablespoon cognac - I used 3 tbsp brandy
2 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
pinch of salt
7 tablespoons (90g) sugar, divided - I used caster sugar
1 cup (250g) mascarpone
twelve 3½-inch ladyfingers (70g, or 3 ounces)
optional: 1 ounce (30g) bittersweet chocolate
125ml Amarula Liqueur.
unsweetened cocoa powder, for serving
1. Mix together the espresso, rum, and cognac. The mixture should taste strongly of alcohol. If not, add more until it does. (That flavor will tone down when mixed with the other ingredients, but feel free to adjust to taste.)
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, or by hand, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they begin to get stiff. Beat in half of the sugar until stiff. Scrape the egg whites into a small bowl.
3. In the same bowl, beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until stiff and light-colored, about three minutes. (If using a standing electric mixer, you may need to stop and scrape down the sides.) By hand, beat in the mascarpone with a spatula or whisk, until lump-free. Add the Amarula Liqueur and mix well.
4. Fold in half of the beaten egg whites, then the remaining half, just until fully incorporated.
5. Put a splat, a heaping soup spoon, of the mascarpone cream into each vessel.
6. Submerge each ladyfinger in the espresso mixture for 5-10 seconds, until completely, utterly soaked. (Dried ladyfingers will take longer to saturate than softer ones.) Break the ladyfinger in half to be sure; they should be dropping wet, and can't be saturated enough. Then layer them over the mascarpone cream in each vessel. Use two ladyfingers per.
7. Grate a generous amount of chocolate over each.
8. Top with remaining mascarpone cream, cover, and refrigerate at least four hours, but preferably overnight.
9. Right before serving, shake powdered cocoa generously on top.
24 comments:
Amarula makes everything better! What a great way to put it to use. Of course I'll have to remind myself to not gulp down the entire bottle if I want to make this...
OH.MY.WORD!!!!!! Ninaaaaaaaaaaa this is stunning....xxx
this is my kind of dessert.
I've never tasted Amarula but I loved the background story or the Amarula tree. This dessert sounds wonderful and I love using splats :)
Mmmm, I LOVE tiramisu, and once you've made your own you will never go back :) Love the idea of using Amarula - looks totally decadent!
Oh yum! Tiramisu is one of my favorite desserts. Looks great!
I used to work in a restaurant that was "African themed." Not the food - just the decor which was much more of a Disney view of Africa than the real thing. However, we did carry amarula, so I can just imagine how fabulous it'd be with tiramisu.
Thanks for sharing this. This would be great for many desserts. Ooooh, yum.
OMG that sounds amazing!
I tasted Amarula and it was pretty good. You made a great tiramisu.
the wine sounds like a great ingredient for tiramisu :)
Yum! This looks fantastic! I must try that liqueur... I've seen it many times before.
This is actually quite funny; I always make tiramisu for christmas every year and I always replace the alcohol for amaretto. And it is sooo much better with amaretto then it is with rum!
I love the amarula too. It's one of my favorite drinks, so this is fantastic recipe to try out!
I love your twist. Great tiramisou.
That tiramisu would definitely please even a purist Italian like me! It looks wonderful! And, I love your photos here. Beautiful!
Yummie, love your version of tiramisu...like the way that you presented it, small portions, gorgeous :-)
marissa - on Sunday we thought the tiramisu needed a bit of help and we even added some more Amarula!!!
BG - thanks my friend!!
peachskins - definitely mine too!!
savoring time in the kitchen - I am sure you can make this with Baileys too!!
jeanne - I think I'm hooked too!!
pam - now you can make it too!!
that girl - wow,that is so cool!!! Can you still get hold of some Amarula?
art and appetite - oh yes, any saucy pud can only be better!
ben - it sure was!
helene - see, may good things come from Africa!
noobcook - it is more of a liqueur, but I understand what you mean!
emily - get a bottle and make dessert!!
junglefrog - I personally do not like rum so I am all for trying something new!
tobias cooks - thanks for the visit!!
susan - THAT is a compliment, thank you!!
juliana - portion control my friend, other wise I will eat way too much!!
This sounds like a special treat from SA. I will need to keep my eyes open and see if it is available in our specialty shops.
Val - it sure is and it is such a versatile drink too. Ideal for cocktails, puds, but still best enjoyed as is on crushed ice!!!
OH MAMMA MIA,
when I lived in Italy I had a dear friend that prepared her magical tiramisu for my birthday every year. Have been in the US now for a decade, and this coming weekend I will absolutely give this recipe a shot.
Thank you Thank You Thank You!!!
Got a few cool recipes on my site as well, come in and let me know what you think.
Best
Gabriele
I want to smell the fruit on those trees! Sounds amazing. And, your tiramisu looks delicious.
What a good idea - I love amarula and am going to Kenya next week so I'll bring a bottle back and give this a try.
And not that the video on the internet makes it true, but there are plenty of funny examples of animals (including elephants) getting drunk off the marula fruit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h9e4Y2MlIg
what a fantastic twist on Tiramisu. Amarula is a wonderful liqueur and you've morphed this classic dessert into something unique.
I used to make the best Cheesecake from Wolfgang Puck with this stuff. Love it. Have to get a bottle now!
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