Fredona King from South Bend, Ind., wrote saying she is a big fan of the tiramisu served at Olive Garden restaurants. She said she has tried several recipes, but they were not as smooth and creamy as what is served at the restaurant. She was hoping I could find Olive Garden's recipe for her.
These days, there are multiple websites that provide "copy cat" recipes for popular dishes from chain restaurants. In no time, I came across several versions claiming to be good facsimiles of the Olive Garden tiramisu, including a YouTube video. Before I set about testing, I decided to check the Olive Garden website (olivegarden.com) and, low and behold, there in the recipe section was their guide to pineapple tiramisu. This pineapple version may not be exactly what King was looking, for but with so many recipes out there for traditional tiramisu I thought it made sense to share this slightly unique version that the Olive Garden published.
This tiramisu was surprisingly quick and easy to make. Just to be safe, be sure to use pasteurized eggs because the yolks are not cooked. The dessert is ideal for summer entertaining; it is light and fresh tasting and can, and should, be made in advance.
Requests
Bonnie Nelson of Bend, Ore., is looking for a special cheesecake recipe that she has misplaced. She thinks it may have come from the Chicago Tribune sometime around 1975. This cheesecake had two distinct layers, with the top layer consisting only of sour cream and sugar. Nelson recalls that it could be made in a pie plate or springform pan, and the baking was started at a higher temperature and then lowered during the process.
Olive Garden pineapple tiramisu
Makes 4 servings
1/2 cup pasteurized egg yolks
6 tablespoons sugar
1 pound mascarpone cheese
1 pineapple
1 box of ladyfingers (12)
4 strawberries, cut in half
1/4 pint wild berries
Whisk egg yolks and 4 tablespoons sugar in a mixing bowl until it becomes a pale color and is light in volume and texture. Be sure not to over-cream the mixture. Add mascarpone cheese and stir until smooth.
Remove skin from the pineapple with a large knife. Cut pineapple in half and remove core. Cut a 1-inch slice from the bottom. Place in a food processor with 2 tablespoons sugar. Pulse until fruit is finely chopped and has released its juice.
Drain contents into a strainer and preserve the juice. Discard chopped pineapple. Cut remaining pineapple into 1-inch slices.
Soak 12 ladyfingers in the pineapple juice until liquid is absorbed. Do not allow them to sit too long.
Place a layer of four ladyfingers in a small, round mold. Cover them with slices of pineapple.
Add a thick layer of mascarpone cream. Repeat process.
Garnish with remaining lady finders, pineapple slices, sliced strawberries and wild berries.
Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour before removing mold and serving.