YouTube's Best Tiramisu (Ep #2)

The Tiramisu series continues!
Episode 1: • The Tiramisu: How It B...
Episode 3: • I Judged The Tiramisu ...
Episode 4: • A Very Deep Dive Into ...
The Apron (lots of you asked!): www.kitchenprovisions.co.uk/p...
The Recipes Tested:
@babishculinaryuniverse: • Tiramisu | Basics with...
@JoshuaWeissman: • Making Real Tiramisu w...
@CSaffitz: • Claire Saffitz Makes T...
@BrianLagerstrom: • PERFECT Tiramisu 2 Way...
The original recipe (pdf): www.lebeccherie.it/allegati/r...
Links:
Patreon: / jameshoffmann
Limited Edition Merch: geni.us/TensHundredsThousands
Instagram: / jimseven
Twitter: / jimseven
My Books:
How to Make The Best Coffee At Home*: geni.us/howtomakethebestcoffee
The World Atlas of Coffee*: geni.us/atlasofcoffee
The World Atlas of Coffee Audiobook*: bit.ly/worldatlasofcoffeeaudio
The Best of Jimseven: geni.us/bestofjimseven
My glasses: bit.ly/boldlondon
My hair product of choice*: geni.us/forthehair
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[@sukiXrose]

"Note: Claire Saffitz was not guilty of this" made me laugh. It's like she's the one angelic child in a class of badly behaved children.

[@DarkxxLightningXx]

I can't speak for Brian Lagerstorm (what a cool name) - but after making multiple recipes from Babish, Weissman, and Saffitz, it's *extremely obvious* who's worked in kitchens and food writing and who's primarily a KZbinr. I was not surprised at all that her Tiramisu recipe is more practical.

[@Kyarrix]

@@DarkxxLightningXx I've made quite a few of Brian's recipes and many of them are very good. In terms of people on KZbin and online I would also recommend Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen, all of her recipes are tested and she herself makes them in her small New York City kitchen.

[@EggBastion]

^ 4:05 - specifying unnecessary amounts of coffee in the recipe

[@Alphonselle]

@DarkxxLightningXx Weissman and Lagerstrom both have past experiences working in professional kitchens for quite some time, Andrew alone hasn't.

[@plastefuchs666]

@@DarkxxLightningXx Claire is also a confectioner if i recall correctly

[@BrianLagerstrom]

Hey James, this is a really well crafted video. Thanks for including my recipe.

[@abdulhfhd]

very nice

[@theelk801]

I was so glad when I saw you in the thumbnail, you’ve worked your way into food youtube and you deserve it king

[@midwestmancookingchannel8811]

Do you have any feedback from his comments?

[@EdwardScape]

I made your version like 3 times already!

[@NoZenith]

Any idea on why the cocoa powder in your recipe inhibited the absorption?

[@Eva-ww8kx]

I think it's unsurprising that Claire's recipe had no inconsistencies or ambiguity, and that it took into account work order and reduced dishwashing. It takes a professional patissier to think of those details.

[@alexh4935]

Yes, she is a professional pastry chef who has a KZbin channel, and the other folks are KZbinrs who sometimes make pastries. I feel like that difference is one we should keep in mind when viewing anything online.

[@cthomas025]

@@alexh4935 I mean, two of the three people you are labeling as just KZbinrs are professional chefs as well, just not specializing in pastry. Claire would still have an edge in pastry but it's not like Joshua and Brian are just two people who are self-taught making videos.

[@michealpersicko9531]

@@cthomas025 The only person showcased here who is self-taught is Andrew from BWB. Claire, Josh, and Brian all have extensive backgrounds in Culinary arts. Claire is a professional pastry chef, josh is a pro chef who worked at a bunch of restaurants including the two Michelin starred Black Bear, and Brian is a professional chef? What exactly do you mean by "self taught" none of these chefs are actually self taught. Self taught means that they learned it on their own without any instruction or training and given the fact that Claire, Josh, and Brian all went to culinary school they aren't self taught.

[@vh2160]

@@michealpersicko9531 Chris is saying that Josh and Brian are NOT self taught. There was nothing in their comment for you to contradict. I'm not proud of the fact that your self-righteousness and lack of reading comprehension bugged me to the extent that I had to write this reply, sorry about that. But also, learn to read, you are clearly literate.

[@artorhen]

@cthomas025 technically Joshua is self taught in the sense that he started working without any degree.

[@itsxris]

i aspire to get to a point where i can justifiably make 5 tiramisus for content

[@mrclueuin]

You too!? lol Would LOVE to do that! Big Tiramisu fan gurl here! 👍😁

[@keksimus__maximus]

Have you seen the videos where he buys thousand of pounds worth of coffee machines?

[@mrclueuin]

@@keksimus__maximus Nope, but I wouldn't be surprised if there was out there. Mr. Hoffman is a very focused and dedicated person when it comes to his Avocation. Wanna shoot me the Video link if it's not any trouble please? 😁

[@AkhierDragonheart]

Why limit it to just 5? Wait a little and you'll have 6 to try!

[@teriyakipuppy]

5 different recipes. Not just 5!

[@TheMajorStranger]

James basically telling Babish to do a botched by babish episode is wonderful!

[@LeonKevlar]

I really hope Babish sees this. It's been a while since the last Botched by Babish episode.

[@albypesphemore]

hell yeah

[@martinbogadomartinesi5135]

a lot of people in the comments say he will make a botched vid, cause it's far from traditional and "perfect"

[@oldcowbb]

except botched by babish is even more of a chaotic mess, far from being helpful

[@screwball69]

@@oldcowbb Thats what makes me want them more than the normal episodes

[@tehkokhoe]

The fact that claire had NO coffee waste, but still had better coffee flavour. Ughhh, how can anyone not love her recipes, they're written so thoughtfully

[@samuele5931]

Just drink the coffee you don’t use. No need to waste

[@tehkokhoe]

@@samuele5931 i mean i wouldnt waste it

[@samuele5931]

@@tehkokhoe if you ask me the best recipe is the one of my nonna (of coarse it is) which is the traditional recipe with some twist. 1. Put half the sugar 2. Substitute 1/3 of mascarpone with ricotta 3. Instead of cocoa powder use a knife to cut very thinly a chocolate bar (or more, at your taste) 4. Moka coffee and not espresso Italia Squisita did a perfect video of the recipe Expecially in UK I found overly firm mascarpone cream that make the cake much heavier. I hope it was just bad luck. I am not American but to me adding Kalhua, vanilla and coffe in powder make the cake with harder to find ingredients and harder to make than the traditional. Maybe for American this is easier or more similar to thei taste. Idk Although I recognise it is safer expecially if you are a beginner or someone who never did cakes with raw eggs.

[@mattturner3484]

Yeah if I make tiramisu I'll probably make Claire's but throw some espresso in

[@flyingteeshirts]

it's just that it uses instant coffee. It's not exactly a bad thing, just a difference and it makes me wonder if it can be made, perhaps better, with espresso

[@coleockerse5473]

I love the extra effort of printing out everyone's pictures and framing them.

[@evan]

Same

[@lukedaniel7669]

This attention to detail is what keeps me coming back to these videos over and over. Like sometimes there will be a framed poster on the wall behind that is relevant to a five-second sidenote then it reverts back to what was there before.

[@sannelelie4206]

Really Luke? Wow I did not yet notice that of the changing posters. It's almost a 'Where is Waldo'. Thanks for pointing it out.

[@suncu91]

"Basic with Babish is not really basic." Finally, someone said it. As someone who is learning how to cook, his basic series uses kitchen tools that are not readily available, expensive ingredients, recipes are complex, and take a lot of time. and dishes. so many dishes.

[@fadelpw511]

a common case of youtuber forgetting where they start

[@MichaelAlthauser]

I was so upset when a while back when he used a $2,000 Traeger pellet smoker in a "Basics" video. That is the very *opposite* of anything even remotely resembling "basics".

[@PabloEdvardo]

Basics with Babish isn't supposed to be "Basic" recipes, it's about getting down to the "Basics" of cooking, meaning the skills and methods. All the Babish recipes are often elevated and slightly complex because he gets most of his recipes from J. Kenji Lopez-Alt.

[@arnonuehm1]

@@PabloEdvardo Interesting that you mention that he draws on Kenji's recipes a lot, because Kenji's videos are usually very down to earth and not overly complex.

[@ayahiraya]

raised my eyebrows at that one video where he used a chemex to strain soup. very excessive.

[@Ben-kr5ht]

Claire’s recipe is always clear and easy to follow. She gives away all of her techniques and thoughts behind why she did what she did. Amazing video as always!

[@lrizzard]

you can tell shes a recipe developer! its not enough that it tastes good, shes also great on communicating and offering alternatives love her.

[@qualcosa88]

"this isn`t what I do, I do the coffee bit" - very humble statement!

[@rsac43]

What part of that is humble?

[@bctrailbagger]

@@rsac43 James Hoffman... just merely the "coffee bit" guy.

[@gregorio5543]

I love how he samples all the different tiramisu with a cupping spoon

[@T0000000000001]

A detail I also appreciated.

[@quasimodobraun]

A coffee nerd stays a coffee nerd. Of course in the stylish way 😅

[@yeekeing1007]

So he's cupping the tiramisu!!!

[@drebatista]

That's absurd. He should use a proper Tiramisu spoon, as any reasonable person.

[@cybertonto72]

Wait.... there are other types of spoons?

[@lancelindlelee7256]

James touched on an issue I've been having with a lot of KZbin cooks. They lean too heavily towards trying make things as you would in a really high end restaurant and not really being practical for a home cook.

[@windowdoog]

I mean Adam Ragusea fits that bill. But you can only fit much existential introspection into one video.

[@xander1052]

@@windowdoog Adam Ragusea not only fits that bill, he does it while generally making some of the best recipes online flavour wise.

[@jimmyrrpage]

As the others said, you want Adam Ragusea.

[@isodoubIet]

@@windowdoog You mean the guy who messed up a chicken with pan sauce and then blamed the recipe?

[@runistudypants3714]

Right?! Have you tried his recipes at home? It takes all the fun out of cooking. Too complicated...

[@javierchamorro8988]

A few years back I went on a youtube journey to find a great way to make tiramisu and learn a lot from different channels. I learnt the most from Hidamari Cooking (japanese) and Cooking Tree (korean). Found I much rather make a Sabayon than using the raw egg yolks. Funny enough, after watching a ton of tiramisu videos, the internet algorithm started to recommend me coffee vidoes and that's how I got to this channel.

[@rg3825]

Those are great recommendations! Love the Asian chefs!

[@thelauraby]

The recipe I learned in Italy uses a zabaglione with a little bit of Marsala and it's the texture and flavor I end up looking for when I eat tiramisu. It's so incredibly creamy. I like other versions but I come back to using zabaglione when making it at home.

[@MoRZ47]

@@thelauraby can you share?

[@hank8499]

@Byrdbrain that is the way I used to make it in a five diamond hotel pastry kitchen.

[@Yorea]

I made the one from Cooking Tree and I really loved it! I served it to an Italian friend and she loved it too so that was my biggest compliment haha

[@jbradleymusic]

Claire can do no wrong. I have owned multiple copies of Dessert Person, because I keep ending up giving it to someone else because I like it so much.

[@Joshlama]

I thought there were typos in the book...am I wrong?

[@shuaichenwu9931]

Can't wait for Hames' version, so much material this time

[@geirmyrvagnes8718]

This clearly needs an unhelpful summary.

[@lindsaytoussaint]

With the blindfolded “I’m ready” I’m really scared of what that video will turn into 😂

[@chriswatts9227]

I feel like a lot of the video might be about fingers

[@ellieban]

He could make one with just every time James said “lady fingers” and that would be enough 🤣

[@alexcrouse]

@@chriswatts9227 "I'm a big fruity thing" might get spliced in just for flavor.

[@alexyplmr]

Hey, I think there was a typo in Italia Squisita video with the amount of sugar. If you search la biccherie's recipe in the Italian cooking academy the ratio in mascarpone-sugar is 2:1. However, in the video description is 1:1. I noticed it because when I was watching the video they added just not that sugar. The other thing is that they used artisan mascarpone cheese, which I read it has less water content that industrial ones so that's the reason it's not that thicker. I really like their since it's just coffee. Just to consider that they recommend using moka pot coffee. There's another recipe, from Massimo Borutta, the most famous chef in Italy. He adds vanilla beans to the cream and a coconut rhum liquor to the coffee.

[@dharte53]

When James says “and my complaints don’t just end there”, you know that it’s going to be a good video!!

[@amberspecter]

I clicked on this video, expecting some sugar-coated collab with all the youtubers in the thumbnail, where they chat with you on skype, give you some advice and then you go off and do your own thing. But what I got was head and shoulders above that; all the critique and confusion, the quiet british anger, it was brilliant. Also brilliant: the way you guys set up those pictures, in frames, like at a wake

[@ScreemBean]

I adore Claire's recipes. They're so well developed and thoughtful for an everyday kitchen, and the sweetness level is perfect, I never feel like I'm biting into a wad of sugar when I try her recipes. This one in particular is so easy to make, I love it, it's a delicious interpretation of tiramisu flavor and texture - all in a convenient and easy to make/serve icebox cake method!

[@gerardchoucroun7487]

in Claire's defense, I think she she describes it as a non traditional riff rather than a originalist interpretation. And THANK YOU for noting that Babish's tiramisu is so not basic. He is delirious. Amazing. Also: Delirious.

[@TamarLitvot]

I love Claire Saffitz! My only gripe with her is her pronunciation of challah. She says “hallah.” I understand when non-Jews can’t make the “kh” or “ch” sound. My French accent is atrocious and I apologize when I have to mispronounce a French word. But why oh why does Claire, with the same background I have, anglicize it?

[@whatr0]

honestly that's a problem with a lot of the "Basics" series Babish does. the series started with more basic recipes but as time went on it basically just became recipes he wanted to do but couldn't fit into his mainline series.

[@isodoubIet]

@@TamarLitvot Because inserting foreign-language words with foreign-sounding phonemes can break the flow of a sentence and hurt understanding? I anglicize my own _name._ Why are you so offended that she anglicized a _bread?_

[@minhuang8848]

@@TamarLitvot You really should take a closer look at how names and loanwords get assimilated into other languages. Native speakers not being great at certain phonemes is the entire freaking point of why things are pronounced differently, making a fuss over this sort of thing is like complaining about bike geeks not properly pronouncing derailleur - it's insufferable and unnecessary, especially considering that every single language in this world does it extensively. Besides, it invariably makes you come off as a know-it-all, so why would you ever bother not going for the bastardized pronunciation? Those are cooking channels aimed at English speakers, not lectures in Hebrew phonology.

[@LameIkon]

@@whatr0 That is also my problem with it. It started of great showing the basics in the kitchen. And therein also lies the flaw in the series. Once you have done the basics, then you are done with them and you start on the next level of cooking. They ran out of information which you classify as basics. But instead of just ending the series, which I would argue was the best, they kept it and just added things which are no longer basic.

[@cameronbatko]

James being fussy will never get old! One of my favorite KZbinrs I have ever found. And caused me to spend the most money.

[@pierrex3226]

Haha, home coffee can get expensive! What have you bought so far? I've bought 3 grinders and two espresso machines, without talking about the coffee itself, and i blame him! 😂

[@cameronbatko]

@@pierrex3226 2 manual espresso machines, 2 electric grinders, 2 hand grinders, and probably 4 different pour over brewers

[@ThatCuriousArtist]

I like how James talked about how easy each recipe was. Clearly, Claire thinks about the clean-up and takes care of integrating that into her recipe. Wheras the rest of the youtubers tend to show off their complicated recipes for the sake of clicks.

[@michealpersicko9531]

That's because Claire is a professional pastry chef who has worked in professional kitches and she's clearly taking all that expansive knowledge and making it more digestible for the average home cook. Most of her recipes can be accomplished with very little in the way of specialty ingredients and equipment as well as techniques. She's often opting to use hand mixers and whisks vs expensive stand mixers and she often says that you can use the stand mixer if it makes it easier but you can easily do it just using a hand mixer. If the professional pastry chef can be this down to earth and still have a following as large as she does then everyone else really has no excuse to make their videos more daunting to the average person who thinks they can't recreate them simply because they "don't have the right equipment" when most of the time that is simply not true.

[@harrisonpike4973]

Is it so impossible for you to understand that the average person doesn't have to be the target audience

[@a.a9021]

@@harrisonpike4973 So, what, the others require more elaborate methods because they are going for more expert-tier results? Clearly not, since their more complicated recipes did not taste better than Claire's simple one. More complex does not mean better!

[@DAP220871]

As a Hoffmann fan and Trevisano myself I am thoroughly enjoying this series on Tiramisù. Indeed the video from Treviso got me a bit emotional since I have been living abroad for over 20 years now. The Beccerie recipe with a ratio of 1/2 Kg sugar to 1Kg mascarpone seems wrong and the 30 ladies-fingers in a row on a round plate seem weird too especially since they state that "The original shape of Tiramesù at Le Beccherie was circular." Anyway, I like it with marsala (you basically make a zabaglione and then you fold in the mascarpone) and in terms of iterations I would suggest trying out different Savoiardi biscuits as the price and quality of those can vary a lot! Also Italians very rarely have an espresso machine at home (we have laws that impose the presence of a coffee bar every 100 meters and prices are strictly controlled) so the home made version always have coffee made with the moka pot (bialetti).

[@themiscelettobros.]

Davide! Nice to see you here!!!!😀

[@DAP220871]

@@themiscelettobros. 🤯

[@chestergregg8668]

I think that was meant to be 3 rows of 10 on a larger plate, given that their picture is a large square tiramisu.

[@NaveeCheefe]

The picture on the web page of the slice of tiramisu looked like a slice from a round cake. I think maybe the 30 in a row meant laying them out in a row in a circular pattern (with one end of each lady finger toward the outside of the plate and the other end toward the center of the plate).

[@chestergregg8668]

@@NaveeCheefe I was wondering if this was mistranslated from Italian, but "disporli in fila al centro di un piatto circolare" does translate as "arrange them in a row in the center of a circular plate".

[@robertcurran4030]

James does a good job of pointing out that it's actually pretty hard to make an instructional video and recipe! Just clearly instructing, knowing what information is and isn't relevant to viewers and what parts they might goof up.

[@dcseain]

Claire's Coffee Coffee Cake is, IMHO, her absolute best coffee sweet.

[@ranydtimrek8477]

As far as the “original” being sweeter than what you were served in the restaurant: I have often found that published recipes online in English have more sugar than the original, perhaps in anticipation that a lot of Americans prefer sweeter desserts. I once made a chocolate dome cake featured on an Julia Child episode and the guest cook used a much lower amount of sugar than the accompanying published online recipe.

[@pierrex3226]

In Europe in the last several years there's been a love hate relationship with sugar now that we know it kills us. Chefs are absolutely trying to reduce sugar in recipes, and so there's also an association that if it's less sweet, it's fancier.

[@OneOddFellow]

@ranyd timrek Out of curiosity, I downloaded both the English and Italian copies of the recipe. Interestingly, both the English and Italian copies included the same 1/2kg of sugar.

[@AntoniusTyas]

I have been trying to perfect my brownies game for a while now. Results are... pretty varied, suffice to say. But one constant thing remain: In every recipe I do, I always halved the sugar. The sweetness is on point already, so I would not bother using the full amount of sugar prescribed in the recipe. Can't imagine how overly sweet that would be.

[@michaelt7397]

I love it at 4:45 when he’s like “Thirty? THIRTY?!”

[@NatSussNotSeuss]

I think I’m laughing too hard at the Le Beccherie bit “this… this is seven. SEVEN!! in a row” 🤣🤣 that delivery whilst turning the plate for all to see was just too much hahahaha

[@calebdomsy]

It was funny, and I was thinking, maybe they meant you to arrange the fingers not in a row, but around the plate like a clock. Maybe that is just me?

[@NatSussNotSeuss]

@@calebdomsy I think that’s probably what they meant, makes a lot more sense 😂

[@lemons_s]

I'm glad you're doing a series on Tiramisu. It's one of my favorite desserts.

James slowly drifting to the left the entire time he was blindfolded was way funnier than I anticipated 😂😂😂😂😂

[@TheMFYeti]

I like how James is utterly confused about how to put more lady fingers on a round plate. The kicker is that, in the first video (EP #1), he has a picture from Alle Beccherie where the owners are holding a plate of tiramisu, and it's round, not rectangular. James was so focused on the task he didn't think about making a circle of cookies.

[@anttihelin6820]

I think the "in a row" threw him off. Just say to put them in a circle around the plate.

[@indiragajah]

Likely got lost in the translation

[@AnimeReference]

Having randoms follow your recipe and mess up due to lack of clarity or experience is essential when refining instructions.

[@spunii8248]

Can’t wait for the James Hoffman baking Channel!

[@callejonization]

I once made the coffee cake James made some time ago and it's absolutely delicious

[@lurklingX]

i want so bad for him to do a cooking or baking series or channel. i don't even care if he doesn't know how to cook and it's just him learning. (hell, Anti-Chef did that and it's GREAT fun!)

[@TamarLitvot]

I’m not surprised that Claire Saffitz’s recipe is one you liked a lot (except for the instant coffee). Since desserts are to Claire what coffee is to you, I would expect a good balance of flavors (flavours). I haven’t seen her recipe but is there a way to make it with real coffee rather than instant? And since I don’t have an espresso machine, would good regular coffee or perhaps coffee from a Bialetti work?

[@adrianocampanhola4250]

It's not clear through James video, but Claire uses real coffee(in the recipe, it calls for strong brewed coffee for the lady fingers), the only step she uses instant coffee is for the filling.

[@TamarLitvot]

@@adrianocampanhola4250 Yes -- after I asked my questions, I went and watched the video and saw that. I'm thinking that espresso powder might yield a better result than regular instant for just that part of the recipe. And given what someone else said in a comment, maybe bittersweet chocolate shavings rather than cocoa on top (though I like cocoa, so might stick with that). Overall, her recipe looks absolutely wonderful. I might try it when my daughters come into town for a visit. And I really appreciate her desserts not requiring a stand mixer. I'm not about to buy one at my age (too old to get enough use out of it) so sometimes feel discouraged at all the recipes that seem to use it.

[@fionaclaphamhoward5876]

I wonder about using a good strong cold brew for dunking the ladyfingers? You can play with the ratio of grounds to water and get a concentrated coffee that might give more of that "coffee-forward" effect that we're all chasing?

[@Vii_DT]

I came here to thumbs up and lol at 'flavors (flavours)'

[@davidhampson4130]

I feel like a moka pot brew is good for Tiramisu as it’s more intense than a filter brewed coffee. It’s not really practical or economical to brew espresso (you’d need a lot of shots!). I feel like maybe some espresso powder in the lady finger mixture might be the way to go. The dilemma is always wanting lots of coffee soaked into the lady fingers without them going to soggy mush. I’m quite partial to amaretto in the mascarpone too.

[@martonferenci]

James in an eye-bra blindtasting tiramisu - legend

[@WIImotionmasher]

I think what I like about every James Hoffmann video, is the precision. The small issues he highlights with the how-to-videos here mirror how I feel about many tutorial/cooking channels on KZbin. Admittedly, 95% of the audience is never going to even try to make the receipes, I understand that, I'm usually in that camp too. But even as a viewer, being more specific and transparent is always more enjoyable to me. And I wanna thank James Hoffmann (and crew) for always delivering a comprehensive video. I don't mean comprehensive as in it covers every single aspect of the topic, but that it covers all the relevant info surrounding the elements in the video; so that there is no confusion or heavily biased omission.

[@martinphillips2461]

Such a fun video! Thanks James. Also delighted to see Brian pop up and comment!

[@Jablicek]

Well, now I just really fancy a tiramisu.

[@dandan_noodles]

Loving the kitchen provisions apron as well! Only tried Claire's recipe out of these. Very easy and simple even if not a classic tiramisu (which she very clearly says it isn't). Still delicious. Looking forward to your coffee focused version which I assume is Pt3 of the series 😊

[@piro_travels]

I couldn't believe at the end that there were no shots of James trying to flip massive sheets of sponge cake and failing. :')

[@MrSnowboarder0]

You could literally talk about which toilet paper is the best for 10h and i would be more involved with that video than with any other video on youtube. Your videos are truly captivating.

[@MiguelMartinez-hz7yq]

I myself never liked tiramisu much, until I noticed it was the cocoa powder. I made the original recipe you showed here, but with, indeed, half the sugar, and replaced the cocoa with high percentage chocolate shavings. It was the best tiramisu, or even dessert, I ever had, and it took me so little time, effort and money (mascarpone is very cheap in germany). I think, nonetheless, that using savoiardi ladyfingers made the biggest difference, I used 2,5 regular size moka machines worth of coffee for around 20 ladyfingers and the balance was perfect.

[@ArnoNuehm1000]

Hi, I am looking to improve my Tiramisu. What exactly are those Savoiardi Ladyfingers? Are they a special brand or something? A quick Google search shows me some Ladyfingers from Edeka called Savoiardi. Are those the ones you prefer?

[@SteveLBMK]

Top tips, thank you! 🤓🤓🤓

[@colorona8456]

@@ArnoNuehm1000 Savoiardi are Italian ladyfingers that are a little bit thicker. So you can have the exact eight amount of soggyness on the outside while maintaining some crunch on the inside.

[@samjohns3227]

Love the idea of chocolate shavings instead of cocoa!

[@GAR413]

I agree about creating more define flavours and important not having it too sweet so the coffee can shine. Not to mix the booze in with the espresso but can add a bit into the mascarpone and it works really well. The guardian wrote a good article on finding the perfect tiramisu in 2014. I just slightly adapted it and it really works. I can't wait to see your version.

[@clubmate12]

I really hope Ep. 3 is with Alex the French Guy Cooking

[@bobbyomari5500]

Brian is my favorite home chef KZbinr. Great to see his recipe and recognition on your channel, James! I also have really enjoyed Claire’s recipes- her chocolate chip cookie recipe is a household staple for us. Her icebox tiramisu was also a major hit at multiple family gatherings.

[@MichaelAlthauser]

Technically former professional chef turned KZbinr chef.

[@danytostudios]

Keep up the amazing work James. You really are one of my greatest inspirations :) Thank you so much

[@JohnHausser]

Shoutout to Brian Most underrated KZbin cooking channel 👨‍🍳 Cheers from San Diego California

[@mmmhorsesteaks]

Man, James is living his best life, looking slightly creepy and being spoonfed various types of tiramisu. Hames will have a *field day*.

[@TravelGeeq]

Love these comparison videos. You know your videos are enjoyable when you watch 12 minutes and it doesn't seem like time ever passed by.

[@CyanPhoenix_]

I've made Claire Saffitz's recipe twice in the last month, it's honestly so good and was super easy to do. haven't tried the others, but can definitely recommend her version :) (i also added extra booze and stronger coffee to get more of those flavours the second time around and it turned out great, so you can definitely adjust it to your liking)

[@michealpersicko9531]

Yeah as a top tier amateur baker Claire's videos are really palatable and easy for the average person to recreate. It's just so satisfying to find a channel full of stunning desserts with recipes that are clearly laid out and easy to pull off with very little in the way of specialty items.

[@mrvi541]

I went on this rabbit hole a couple months ago, this video is so validating I literally had the same questions and questioned several times if I was the problem. I have peace now. 😂

[@aying25]

I made Babish’s tiramisu for Xmas and it was so hard, mainly the sponge/ladyfingers. It also took forever to make, and I left the kitchen in a state. I want to try Claire’s for sure, I got her book Desert Person as a gift and I love her content

[@hans-ericjaeger9059]

That was a really fun video! I would love to see you try to create the best Tiramisu by combining the best parts of each into one recipe.

[@ryanoutram7059]

Condolences to James for presumably sitting through an entire Josh Weissman video

[@Mooza1]

Just started, already know that Babish is a hack, Claire is always supreme

[@Mooza1]

Wow, couldn't have been more right. People watch Babish they don't make his recipes. Claire teaches, and makes stuff that tastes great. It may not be traditional, but it will taste great. Also, tiramisu I think just has to use moka pot coffee.

[@lurklingX]

i tried his vids but.... for various reasons, not for me. i like ones where i'm actively learning. i can cook, but i like to expand, and also learn to make things i've not done before or techniques. the point of his seems.... less about cooking than anticipated. and i think his personality or approach or something just doesn't jive for me. haven't seen claire but i'll look her up. have watched a lot of brian and weissman. brian i feel is better with the actual things made, though weissman is highly entertaining. (just there's a lot of his recipes that recreate junk food, so that's not often what i'm looking for. BUT, plenty of his stuff would be fine.)

[@minidee2194]

Enough best KZbinrs tiramisus. I want KZbin's WORST tiramisu.

[@stijnvth]

James ... your content is so on point. I love your coffee bits but this is just awesome too.

[@friendslovecars]

I am so HYPED to see Brian on here! He’s such a talented chef all around and freely shares his wisdom on KZbin. I love his approach and recipes. Great work James!!

[@edmudman]

Possibly, adding cocoa to the coffee will cause a bridging effect in the sponge, leading it to pack off in places, reducing the porosity.

[@thenotred]

This is why I want tiramisu for my birthday. Not easy to f it up unless you have a few shots in yourself while making it.

[@villuna_]

I tried babish's recipe for tiramisu, but i used storebought ladyfingers instead of making them yourself (why on earth would you make them yourself? anyway). It came out well but i agree it definitely needed more coffee flavour. I had a hard time saturating the biscuits with coffee and in the end since it was just brewed coffee it didnt really taste like anything in the finished cake. Came out really delicious though.

[@kane2742]

I can only think of two reasons for making the ladyfingers yourself: 1. To incorporate coffee directly in the batter for more coffee flavor. 2. If you have a dietary restriction (such as celiac disease) that keeps you from eating most ladyfingers you'd find in the store. Neither of these seemed to apply to any of the ladyfingers in this video, unless I missed something.

[@kathyjohnson2043]

My reason would be that in my part of the world if you were lucky enough to find ANY ladyfingers in a store, cardboard would taste better and no amount of coffee could redeem them. Does Amazon sell good ladyfingers and could they get delivered without being crushed?

[@tehkokhoe]

Im so proud of my baking angel guru claire for doing so well

[@susanbohuslav5863]

Hi! I used to bake professionally and I was so inspired by you to get a tiramisu recipe perfected. I tried “The Original” recipe and agree I would cut down on the sugar! But it was still really good in small servings. I have an idea what I want a tiramisu to taste like after having an amazing one in Rome. It was lighter in texture, less sweet. I believe the method was the same and I will be using this recipe to work off of. No whipped cream!

[@SenorDecimus]

Loving these Tiramisu videos. Keep them coming!

[@lHenry97]

Great video, and i just have to say, the audio quality in the studio recorded stuff has been so amazing the last few videos!!

[@redpandamaniacal]

Personally a fan of wet tiramisu. The tiramisus I've enjoyed the most have been completely saturated with liquid, I think. Was a reminder to me, I guess, that food is ultimately a matter of taste. Love this second installment on my favorite dessert from my favorite strange coffee guy!

[@tubefae3924]

So happy to see your comment as it almost seemed wrong now to like heavy, wet, boozy tiramisus (after seeing Claire’s video!)

[@nerd26373]

We appreciate James for his own versatility on this channel. He's certainly one of the best out there.

[@JohnHausser]

⬆️ 🤖

[@Esltenme]

Great video James!! Thanks for making this

[@DakodaOK]

The tone of disbelief about "thirty ladyfingers in a row" made me laugh louder than I'd like to admit.

[@nicolasOtales]

Same here. I immediately imagined the size of this required round plate 🤣

[@Elliecharlie]

Because of you, I bought some tiramisu when ordering from a fancy pizza restaurant in Sydney. They didn't use ladyfingers, it wasn't overly sweet and the coffee was real espresso. It was moist, creamy, and delicious. I went back a few days later to get more, and that's saying something because I normally don't even like tiramisu

[@xspager]

James: * apologizes for the mask looking a little bit creepy * Also James: * look like a masked superhero *

[@RichDempsey]

A cape would have been the perfect touch.

[@pavelshalman]

Haven’t tried these recipes myself, but I love the recipe from Food Wishes. He does a nice trick with a double boiler with the eggs yolks which firms up the texture nicely.

[@Amber-cv4tr]

Now THIS is what I’m here for. The ultimate tiramisu. Can’t wait for episode 3!

[@renatosevegnani]

I would love to see your opinion on the Genaro Contaldo's take, which uses lemons and lemoncello. Babish's Basics is the takes a basic dish and do it his own, so he usually goes way deeper than necessary. Very good video! Hope there is a part 3.

[@BalsamicPork]

I've made a decent amount of Tiramisu and I always substitute a good aged rum for marsala for two reasons. 1) I don't have marsala usually 2) The flavors of an aged rum go well and the flavors of an aged rum (Vanilla, caramel, etc...) Can really bring more flavor to the coffee.

[@sandvich101]

Ive made Claire's tiramisu ice box cake 4 times now for different parties and it is always a hit. So easy to make (although I have a stand mixer so that's why), and it is so well balanced. I think the instant coffee is a great addition since I always like more coffee flavor personally.

[@theverygoodpiano]

I can't wait for Hames Joffmann to exploit the lady fingers

[@DancingSpacePotato]

I literally just sat down and opened YT. I have scones, not tiramisu, but damn this is good timing yet again for my morning routine, James

[@andylawless]

Omg. You just gave me an idea to make tiramisu scones.

[@DancingSpacePotato]

@@andylawless sounds like a lovely idea!

[@wr6293]

I would want to see how the original recipe can be changed to go lower on the sweetness by sugar and what would be the results with different coffee (espresso, strong filter coffee and specialty instant coffee)

[@stanford-nf4jk]

When I was little, my maternal grandmother would make us her version of Tiramisu using store bought ladyfingers and decaf Taster’s Choice. Only later would I try a more traditional iteration. I have her recipe, but what I wouldn’t give to watch her prepare her version. I miss her.

[@velvetvert9431]

Thank you for sharing this sweet memory!

[@stanford-nf4jk]

@Velvet Vert You’re welcome! And thank you for reading my comment. Glad you enjoyed the brief anecdote about my Gramma.

[@fabstems3388]

Thank you for pointing out that the "basic" tutorials were in no way basic. I've felt like making some of the recipes in those videos, but upon watching them I thought I was completely useless as a cook because I couldn't follow these "basic" recipes, it killed my confidence even before I started until I looked at other, much simpler tutorials.

[@elmarboorsma8808]

I've found that you can create your own amount of sogginess in the lady finger by increasing / decreasing the dipping duration. For me, 1-1.5 seconds works best. Additionally, there is a difference in the sogginess dipping the sugar side in the espresso or dipping the biscuit side in the espresso. Excited to see what part three is going to bring!

[@TamarLitvot]

Which side is soggier -- the non-sugar side?

[@elmarboorsma8808]

@@TamarLitvot yeah indeed, draws more espresso

[@TamarLitvot]

@@elmarboorsma8808 Thanks -- I will remember this

[@joshgonzalez2885]

I like how every other recipe he's like this is weird, not complex, this isnt enough coffee and that's bad. And Claire he's like oh it's great she's great 😂😂 as he should Claire is too sweet 😭

[@Time4Technology]

James judging cooking/baking tutorials should be a new show.

[@Digital_Chef]

Loving this series!

[@bunniesarecute3135]

i'm excited for this series! tiramisu's my favorite dessert, and ironically my go-to is the premade one from LIDL. let's see if your recipe will taste better ;D

[@meganmills6545]

Have a look for mine and give it a try if you don't mind making a sabayon. But it does make an enormous one so you might want to halve or quarter it. My vid is old and was just to try to help people reading my recipe. It's filmed in my kitchen totally non-professionally, the sound is basic (and that's being kind) and the lighting is ghastly. Plus it's not monetised so it's very grainy now but I think you can still see it well enough to figure out what's happening - and I've put the recipe in the "More" section. If you try it, let me know what you think of it. :-)

[@littlebumgorf]

thank you for calling out crappy youtuber recipes. lots of these people are KZbinrs first, chefs second. before you even got to talking about the recipes, i knew that claire's recipe was going to be more cook-friendly than that of babish's and weissman's.

[@handlealreadytaken718]

Claire's Ice box tiramisu has been amazing. I've made it twice. The second time making it, I used espresso for the lady figure dip and also made it a day in advance. The longer it sits in the fridge the better it gets. Very easy and delicious.

[@philipB31]

I wish I’d been there to try them all… just made me hungry, but ‘thank you’ to James and the team.

[@12398292]

My therapist: Space alien James Hoffman with a tiny bra on his eyes can't hurt you, he isn't real. Me: 5:42 (he is ready)

[@Default78334]

I've made Brian's recipe and found it to be super easy for the quality of the results it gives.

[@comrad3question982]

I made the Stella parks tiramisu two days ago with tremendous results. Thanks for making this comparison video.

[@camilla1708]

Thank's for another fantastic video! :D I'm really looking forward to your recipe now! I find desert recipes online (and elsewhere) often are way too sweet so I've gotten into the habit of halving the amount of sugar, if possible, and it always feels like a bit of a gamble. I'd rarely test-bake in advance so it would be lovely with a recipe made by someone who acknowledges the distracting sweetness in many other recipes 🍰

[@thickandthinking]

I have a theory: I believe that chefs without a sweet tooth make way better desserts. A chef with a sweet tooth drowns everything in sugar and are pleased with the taste of sweetness. A chef without a sweet tooth have the complexity of flavours as a goal and lets sugar be a team player instead of the main character. I actually don't care to much for sweets, so I'm hoping that your own recipe is a bit bitter and with excellent texture.

[@ydmf2]

Yes! Great theory. 👌

[@user-sx4yu3nw4j]

You “don’t care too much for sweets,” so *of course* you want a chef who shares your preferences. Surprise, surprise.

[@thickandthinking]

@@user-sx4yu3nw4j yes, I'm just as selfish as everyone else. 🙂 However, I do believe that a dessert chef without a sweet tooth makes everyone happy, instead of just the people addicted to the taste of sweetness.

[@santibanks]

In my own experience trying Patisseries and bakeries all over the world, I think the issue is more to do with training and cultural background. While I agree that chefs with extraordinary like for sugar will probably not create complex tasting desserts, I do find that their "school" of bakery is the determining factor and I say that because the problem is not only the level of sweetness, it is also about other aspects like texture and how well things are prepared. I found that anyone who has been trained in the classic French style of patisserie is usually able to create very good desserts. Some might be slightly sweeter than others but usually the textures are very good, there is actual flavour, and the stuff has personality. It might taste sweet but there is still room for delicacy. Anyone not trained in the French style just creates sweet junk. I call it the American school of sweets. It's heavy, there is never anything delicate about it, it tastes like sugar with fats and often smells too heavy of fake vanilla, its just a mess. Texture is never balanced either, always heavy (be it creams, mousses, doughs, fillings). If it is made with puff pastry then it never flakes delicately. Chocolate never tastes like intense chocolate. I can spot them straight away by just looking at it and I avoid those places at all cost. Same is true for ice cream btw. There is also a slight exception and that's the Japanese school. I think they are heavily influenced by the French on this particular aspect but still add their own twist and creativity to it. It's also where their culture shines as they are able to combine a lot of typical Japanese ingredients (tea, yuzu, sesame, etc.) and their own eye for perfection and dedication.

[@thickandthinking]

@@santibanks I haven't been traveling all over the world. My experience is limited to the chefs I've worked with in Sweden where I live, so I'm sure you have a much wider expertise in the subject. But I suspect you make a good point. The best desserts I've ever tasted was served at VRÅ, a Swedish - Japanese restaurant in Gothenburg. Textures are wildly underrated. And portion size! If I have finished a dessert and want just two more bites, then the portion is perfect. 🙂

[@sDeezyeazy]

The real challenge of attempting a Joshua Weissman recipe is making it through the video without suffering an Aneurysm and having your attention span reduced to that of a child

[@TimBryan]

Papa no kiss

[@jump25ontoast]

Drink a shot espresso every time James says lady fingers

[@clari57n]

James “my complaints don’t end there” Hoffmann 😅

[@raahulpathak2972]

I can say, I really love tiramisu. I don’t have the equipment needed to make tiramisu so I can’t do it by myself yet. However, one of the major things for me is I want coffee to be the primary flavor with every bite. I want to be punched in the mouth with a blast of coffee on my tongue while it not being overpowering. I think that’s the charm of a tiramisu. People expect coffee and chocolate to be the primary flavors. Then, depending on the culture/person will dictate how sweet they want to make the desert. I feel like the original would be a good starting point.

[@Nurple17]

I made Joshua's recipe last year for my birthday and while it tasted good, my issue with it is that the lady fingers you make have a tendency to flatten while baking, the entire recipe uses almost a dozen eggs (read, you'll use 8 egg yolks for the cream, with nothing to do with the whites). Also, if it doesn't set properly, you'll essentially have something closer to soup than a tiramisu.

[@erikbukovac5944]

idk about his recipe, but for traditional tiramisu you should whip the whites and add it to the cream for a stiffer cream.

[@Nurple17]

@@erikbukovac5944 I mean, I do that now, after looking at how other yt cooks make tiramisu. I reduced it to 6 whole eggs, whites and yolks separated into 2 bowls with half the total amount of mascarpone in each, which then were combined. Still haven't figured out why my ladyfingers are different.

[@TheQueenofMaggots]

5:08 lol James annotations haven't been a thing for years, that took me back

[@Xcinlb565]

Another great video by James. He made me crack up a few times with his comments and descriptions. I think he can pretty much review anything, cars too?