I must say tiramisu is not a dessert I was familiar with when growing up in Italy – in fact I first heard of it when I was already in London in the late 1970s. There seems to be a bit of a dispute as to where this pudding originated – Veneto, Piedmont, Tuscany – nevertheless it is popular all over Italy and can be found on restaurant menus worldwide. The meaning of “tiramisu” is “pick-me-up” obviously due to its calorific content of mascarpone cheese and cream, not forgetting strong espresso coffee! Really simple to prepare, it can be made in advance and is always a welcome dessert to finish off any meal.
