One of the reasons I will never be a real adult is because I don't drink coffee. I assume that real grown-ups stand around in suits, slurping coffee and talking about portfolios and stuff. The best I can do in that regard is sit around in my jeans with a cup of tea and talk about Science. However, while adulthood continues to evade my grasp, I do consider myself a professional tea drinker. When I brew a cup it is a delicate process that involves loose-leaf tea, thermometers, timers and different protocols for each one to produce a perfect tea that is flavorful, but not bitter.
It is my love for tea that inspired me to make this Teatime Tiramisu. By replacing the espresso with English Breakfast tea, the flavor of the cake becomes lighter and smoother, but no less complex. Adding lemon to the cream makes the cake reminiscent of a cup of tea with a twist of lemon. The brandy and Riesling also give it a hint of alcohol, which combines with the black tea and lemon to create a very unique flavor that is earthy, tart, and delicately sweet. This cake can be served at teatime with a pot of tea, or after dinner with the remaining Riesling (assuming you didn't drink it all while the cake was chilling).
The Science.
English Breakfast is a black tea, which means that it is made from tea leaves that have been withered and fermented. Depending on what region the tea leaves are grown in and how they are treated, black teas can have a variety of different flavors and aromas. The compounds that give tea its aroma are broadly classified as phenols and flavonoids. A Japanese research group has determined that the "sweet" flavors in some more full-bodied black teas are imparted by epoxydecenals that are produced by the fermentation process, and are not found in green tea [1]. Moreover, another group has found that length of brewing time and addition of milk can affect how much of these aromatic compounds our bodies absorb from drinking tea [2]. This, in turn, may affect how well the tea we drink will provide health benefits, such as prevention of diabetes and cancer [2]. For the highest concentration of antioxidant compounds, the group recommends steeping black tea for 7 minutes, however I have always found that it is less bitter with a 5 minute brew time. I suppose you'll just have to choose whether you want a smooth cup of tea or more antioxidants.
The Recipe.
Syrup:
2 cups boiling-hot water
5 English Breakfast teabags
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons brandy
Cake:
juice from 2 lemons
1 teaspoon gelatin
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup Riesling
1/2 cup sugar
1 pound mascarpone
1 cup 40% heavy cream
1 tablespoon lemon zest
36 biscotti savoiardi (lady fingers)
Steep tea in hot water for 10 minutes. Add sugar and brandy and stir until dissolved, then set aside. Sprinkle gelatin over the lemon juice and allow to bloom for 5 minutes in a large bowl. Be sure to use a glass bowl, because a metal one will give the lemon juice a metallic taste. Meanwhile, set a saucepan with 1 inch of water on the stovetop to simmer. Once the gelatin is bloomed, add the egg yolks, Riesling, and sugar, then set over the saucepan to make a double boiler. Beat the mixture on medium speed while it heats for 5 minutes, until it is frothy and tripled in size. Remove from heat and fold in the mascarpone, then place in the fridge.
To whip the cream, prechill a metal bowl and beaters in the freezer
for 10 minutes. Place the bowl over an ice bath and whip the cream on
medium speed until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to over-whip and
curdle the cream. Fold the whipped cream and the lemon zest into the
mascarpone mixture.
Assemble the cake by dipping the savoiardi in the tea syrup, then layering them in the bottom of a 9x13 glass dish. Cover with 1/2 of the cream mixture. Add another layer of soaked cookies, then top with the rest of the cream. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
For a beautiful garnish, you can make lemon peel curls as I instructed in the Orange Gingerbread Bundt Cake post. They're a very easy way to dress up this beautiful dessert!
2. Kyle, J. et al. "Effects of Infusion Time and Addition of Milk on Content and Absorption of Polyphenols from Black Tea." Journ. of Agri. and Food Chem., 2007. Vol 55 (12), pp 4889–4894.
