YouTube's Best Tiramisu (Ep #2)

[@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

[@MangoTheRetriever]

I made your version like 3 times already!

[@NoZenith]

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

[@ThePorkTree]

@@Kyarrix dude, dont be a freak.

[@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

[@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.

[@FoldingScreenMonkey]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@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!

[@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.

[@neuronaljunctiondecay5673]

@@evanbritish

[@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.

[@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

[@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?

[@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!

[@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...

[@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?

[@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

[@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.

[@dharte53]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@Michael-Oh]

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!

[@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

[@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.

[@lemons_s]

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

[@dcseain]

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

[@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. 🤯

[@lordcheeto]

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).

[@lordcheeto]

@@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".

[@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 😂

[@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!!

[@deenhafiz8102]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:00 🍰 *Introduction and Contest Setup* - Looking for the best tiramisu on KZbin for ingredient testing. - Five contenders: "Binging With Babish," Joshua Weissman, Claire Saffitz, Brian Lagerstrom, and the original Le Beccherie recipe. - The plan: Make and taste each recipe blindfolded for unbiased judgment. 00:55 🍰 *Review of "Basics With Babish" Recipe* - Babish's recipe involves a non-traditional sponge cake (Pan di Spagna), making it complex. - Chaotic instructions during the mascarpone cream preparation. - Issues with the texture and intensity of coffee flavor. 02:20 🍰 *Review of Joshua Weissman's Recipe* - Weissman's recipe includes making lady fingers from scratch, resulting in a denser cake. - Concerns about the lower proportion of lady fingers affecting the texture. - Expresses hesitation about making lady fingers or sponge from scratch. 03:18 🍰 *Review of Claire Saffitz's Icebox Cake Recipe* - Saffitz's recipe is praised for its user-friendly process and efficient washing up. - Unique layering with whipped cream and less chocolate on the outside. - Comments on the lack of decorating skills but hopes for deliciousness inside. 03:46 🍰 *Review of Brian Lagerstrom's Recipe* - Lagerstrom's recipe criticized for excessive espresso usage, leading to potential waste. - Concerns about the chocolate dominance in the biscuit mixture. - Points out a flaw in cocoa powder affecting biscuit absorption. 04:43 🍰 *Review of Le Beccherie's Traditional Recipe* - Critique on the confusing instruction to lay 30 lady fingers in a row. - The recipe lacks guidance on coffee measurement, relying on personal taste. - Personal improvisation for circular plate arrangement. 05:41 🍰 *Blind Tasting Experience and Initial Reactions* - Blindfolded tasting of each tiramisu, sharing initial thoughts and impressions. - Expresses preferences for coffee intensity, sweetness, and texture in each slice. - Acknowledges the challenge of differentiating between the recipes blindly. 08:01 🍰 *Post-Blindfold Tasting Analysis* - Detailed analysis and commentary on each tiramisu after revealing the recipes. - Comments on flavor, texture, sweetness, and balance in "Basics With Babish," Joshua Weissman, Claire Saffitz, Brian Lagerstrom, and Le Beccherie's tiramisu. - Reflects on the difficulty of creating an outstanding tiramisu. Made with HARPA AI

[@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.

[@s.adams239]

Interesting!

[@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.

[@aubs400]

His pasta is awful, though

[@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!)

[@akshayyelmelwar1276]

Thanks

[@martinphillips2461]

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

[@michaelt7397]

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

[@The_CKY]

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

[@sophiaisabelle027]

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

[@JohnHausser]

⬆️ 🤖

[@JohnHausser]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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. :')

[@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.

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@mmmhorsesteaks]

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

[@Jablicek]

Well, now I just really fancy a tiramisu.

[@martonferenci]

James in an eye-bra blindtasting tiramisu - legend

[@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. 😂

[@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 😭

[@tehkokhoe]

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

[@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!)

[@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.

[@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.)

[@stijnvth]

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

[@ryanoutram7059]

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

[@minidee2194]

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

[@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

[@hola979]

As someone who lives in a place where most things like lady fingers aren't available, i usually end up making most things from scratch even if the process is long because of not having any other option. I always appreciate recipes that include this.

[@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

[@clari57n]

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

[@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!

[@dEcmircEd]

extremely late to this but did you really use cocoa powder ? if you were using the commercial cocoa powder mix like nesquick and the like, you would have been sprinkling your cake with mostly sugar and almost no flavour. the cocoa powder is supposed to be without any sugar, or fat to combine well with the batter. using high cocoa chocolate is indeed a good way to achieve a similar thing :-)

[@GergelyImreh]

I love the dramatic, progressive zoom in on James, when he is highlighting 4:10 how strong coffee and espresso is "a very different thing, A VERY DIFFERENT THING!" 😅 Point very well taken.

[@Default78334]

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

[@saullaski7295]

Any vid with the best coffee guy on youtube and Papa Weissman is bound to be a particularly delectable learning experience

[@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.

[@SenorDecimus]

Loving these Tiramisu videos. Keep them coming!

[@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!

[@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 🤣

[@clubmate12]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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!

[@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.

[@jump25ontoast]

Drink a shot espresso every time James says lady fingers

[@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.

[@LadyJaneQns]

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.

[@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.

[@TheQueenofMaggots]

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

[@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

[@hwchen39]

This is a really underrated recipe, but I love the one from Bruno Albouze. He's a French pastry chef and while I do feel that his recipe is quite complex and I do not include every single component he does, I really love his addition of lemon zest & lemon spread into the recipe. The lemon complements the mascarpone so well and adds a complexity of flavor one doesn't find in most recipes. I also love his method of baking the sponge in one layer in a slim pan and dividing it into layers with a knife. I feel like the slices you get are much more consistent and the construction of the dish is much easier. Not to mention by lining the mold with cling wrap for the final dish, clean up is super easy!

[@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.

[@ron9465]

Hi James another great video. I am being driven crazy with the coffee puck sticking to the espresso machine water outlet and not staying in the portafilter after extraction. Can you please please do a video about this. I have ditched my DeLonghi and invested this year in a WPM Welhome Pro KD-270S espresso machine and WPM ZD-17 conical burr grinder both made in Hong Kong. I am very pleased with the items but the puck sticking keeps happening which means more work cleaning it when I should be sitting on my balcony with a delicious coffee.

[@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)

[@danytostudios]

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

[@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?

[@josephinemartin]

I love Claire's recipes I've made it a few times and as someone without a coffee machine at home hers is really approachable with the instant coffee. I look forward to seeing how you make your recipe as a coffee master!

[@joshevans5127]

I put you (James), Brian, and Claire on the Mount Rushmore of "really good culinary/food/drink-youtubers of the last 5 years". Throw in Matty Matheson or Cocktail Chemistry as a wildcard and you've got a wealth of good vibes and great food content. Thanks James!

[@segamble1679]

Aw man, now I really want a Mount Rushmore with those people on it. That would be so great. Is there a KZbinr out there we can challenge to carve faces into the side of a mountain?

[@thecatofnineswords]

@@segamble1679 instead of a mountain, how about a cake?

[@Burning_Dwarf]

@@thecatofnineswords in that case, Sideserf cake studios is the lady for the job

[@josephjankowski1153]

I've tried a bunch of tiramisu recipes and I've always find that it takes a lot of practice and tweaking to really get them to come out great. Sure, it's easy to make a decent tasting Tiramisu, but it is truly a challenging desert to master. There are so many variables where making slight changes can drastically effect the end result. The level of coffee absorption into the ladyfingers can be especially difficult to control. It is something you generally have to dial in through a few attempts. It's actually a lot like pulling good shots of espresso, in that way. Two people can follow the exact same recipe and come out with very different results, so it's always hard to judge these kinds of "tests." That's not a criticism, though. I loved the video. This is a really great direction this series has gone in. Would love to see more coffee-adjacent content like this.

[@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.

[@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!!

[@scottydoggymama]

Claire is my go to for lots of things love her

[@johncspine2787]

The reason I’m a proponent of the IL Fornaio recipe is that the wonderful, egg yolk rich cake latyer is designed to hold up to being soaked or drizzled with the liquids and not be soggy. Since it’s whole layers instead of individual cookies, you get more coffee taste more evenly throughout!

[@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.

[@comrad3question982]

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

[@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)

[@theverygoodpiano]

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