When Valentine’s Day comes along every year, it is a very unique and different kind of holiday in our house. I do make treats for the kids to take to school but I really try to leave the word love or be mine or any types of those sayings off their Valentine’s. This year I did a pretty neat one that I found off of Pinterest.
I am so glad that our tradition is different. I have told you before in my bio that my husband is Italian. Well his name is Valentino. He is named after San Valentino or Saint Valentine’s as we call it here in America.
This day used to be always a little depressing and full of anxiety before my husband came along. What will I receive? Will I get that box of chocolates? I don’t have a loved one at this moment who will celebrate this with me!
You know all of those thoughts and feelings that can be associated with this day.
Well no more. Because my husband was named after San Valentino today is his “Onomastico” Day. Translated to his “name” day.
So we celebrate and say Auguri di Buon Onomastico! Or Happy NameDay!
This is a particular tradition for Italians in Italy. Almost everyone I know in his family has a saint name and he calls them on their Onomastico day.
To honor and celebrate his name day I made his favorite dessert. Tiramisu.
He taught me how to make this quite a few years ago and now I can teach you. You won’t find many recipes like this online mostly because everyone uses a different type of alcohol. You will find many variations but this is how his mother taught him and how he taught me. So now I will pass the tradition on to you.
Auguri di Buon Onomastico Valentino!
NONNA’S TIRAMISU
YIELDS: 9 servings
PREP TIME: 25 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
3 brown egg whites
3 brown egg yolks
2 teaspoons sugar plus extra for sweeting your expresso
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
2 teaspoons Sweet Vermouth Rosso
1/2 cup of expresso cooled
24 savoiardi or lady fingers
unsweetened cocoa for dusting
Directions:
1. Brew expresso and add sugar to sweeten and 1 teaspoon of vermouth. Set aside to cool.
2. Separate eggs placing yolks in a bowl and the whites in a mixing bowl.
3. In the bowl with the egg yolks add mascarpone and mix well. Stir in 2 teaspoons sugar.
4. In bowl with egg white using a mixer, mount your egg whites to semi stiff peaks.
5. Add egg whites to mascarpone mixture by folding the whites in using a spatula.
6. Stir in 1 teaspoon of the vermouth to the mascarpone mixture.
7. Using an 8×8 pan layer savoiardi and the cream making two layers of each.
8. First dip one side of the savoiardi into expresso then turn it once so each side has soaked some of the expresso.
9. Second place in pan, then continue to do this with the savoiardi till a bottom layer has formed in your pan.
10. Add half of the mascarpone mixture to the top of the savoiardi.
11. Repeat this process making your second layer.
12. Dust with cocoa, refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer and ENJOY!
***notes***
My savoiardi were purchased at world market. I used about 10 on my bottom layer and 12 on my top layer.
Try not to soak too much of the expresso into your savoiardi so it does not crumble. Each one needs just a little expresso in them.
Also the vermouth was purchased at my local ABC store.
This dessert gets better over time. I made mine the day before and left it in the refrigerator.
I am not responsible for any sickness due to consuming raw egg! We have never had any problems but just in case! Thanks! 🙂
this is link over at bunsinmyoven.
Sally
Hey Nancy! I love tiramisu. I haven’t had it in SO long though! I need to change that. Happy NameDay!
thebittersideofsweet
Must eat soon! 🙂
madison
the tiramisu is FANTASTIC!!!!!!!! love it so much!<3
thebittersideofsweet
Thanks Madison! 🙂
Casey
My brother loves tiramisu! and the best part is it gets better as time passes by:) I tried Dory Greenspan’s Tiramisu cake. Feel free to check it out and guess what? I made it on my brother’s birthday:)
oh I would definitely try this. I really like that the recipe doesn’t require a big quantity of ingredients just perfect if you have a sudden pang of craving:)