Lazy spiced butternut tiramisu

With a small wedge of pumpkin and some impulsively purchased mascarpone in the fridge, this lazy tiramisu was born.

Lazy spiced butternut tiramisu Credit: Hetty Lui McKinnon

• serves

  6

• prep

  25 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Butternut delivers just the right amount of sweet, nutty pumpkin flavour, but you could also use kabocha (Japanese/Kent pumpkin). Canned pumpkin works perfectly too. There are many elements from a traditional tiramisu missing from this recipe – there are no eggs, no heavy whipping, nor is there cream. To satiate my oft-indolent attitude to cooking, this is a bare bones tiramisu, not as rich as the original, but every bit as indulgent.

Ingredients

• 500 ml (2 cups) strong brewed coffee or 250 ml (1 cup) Americano mixed with 250 ml (1 cup) water
• ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• 250 g (1 cup) butternut pumpkin puree (recipe below)
• 450 g mascarpone
• 110 g (½ cup) white sugar
• 24 ladyfingers (savoiardi biscuits) (about 200 g)
• 3 tsp white super 
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon

Pumpkin spice puree

Makes approximately 1 cup

• 300 g peeled butternut pumpkin (or other pumpkin variety)

Chilling time: 8 hours or overnight

Instructions

1. To make the pumpkin puree, cut the butternut into cubes and add them to a saucepan with a little water (3 tablespoons to start), cover with a lid and cook over medium heat for 15–20 minutes, or until the flesh is very soft. Check it from time to time and add more water if it dries out. When soft, if there is still water in the saucepan, drain it. Stir the flesh with a fork (it should break up easily) until it is completely pureed.
2. Pour the coffee into a shallow baking tray. Add the cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg and whisk to combine. Set aside to cool completely.
3. Place the butternut pumpkin puree, mascarpone and sugar in a bowl and whisk for about 2 minutes, until combined and thickened slightly.
4. You'll need a large loaf tin that measures about 23 cm × 11 cm × 7 cm – it should be just wide enough to lay a ladyfinger straight across. Quickly dip the ladyfingers into the coffee mixture, allowing excess liquid to drip off. Arrange the ladyfingers in a single layer across the bottom of the loaf tin – it should fit about eight biscuits – then spread one-third of the butternut mascarpone mixture on top. Repeat with the remaining ladyfingers and butternut mascarpone to create two more layers.
5. To finish, combine sugar and cinnamon. Sift the cinnamon sugar all over the top of the cake. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 8 hours or preferably overnight. Cut into slices and serve.

 

Images and recipes from Tenderheart by Hetty Lui McKinnon, published by Plum, (RRP $59.99). Photography by Hetty Lui McKinnon.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Butternut delivers just the right amount of sweet, nutty pumpkin flavour, but you could also use kabocha (Japanese/Kent pumpkin). Canned pumpkin works perfectly too. There are many elements from a traditional tiramisu missing from this recipe – there are no eggs, no heavy whipping, nor is there cream. To satiate my oft-indolent attitude to cooking, this is a bare bones tiramisu, not as rich as the original, but every bit as indulgent.