miso caramel and banana tiramisu

tiramisu with banana pudding and banoffee pie *vibes*

tiramisu makes a fantastic dessert in any season, but i especially love it in summer for four reasons: it’s relatively easy to assemble, no-bake, the perfect mix of luxurious and light, and extremely versatile.

my little twist incorporates some banana pudding and banoffee pie vibes, and while it’s by no means groundbreaking, it certainly is delicious. i have to say it didn’t surprise me that when asked via my instagram stories which recipe you wanted to see between “a take on tiramisu” and “special homemade magic shell”, you chose this one. it was close, but tiramisu was the clear winner and i was more than happy to oblige. if you chose homemade magic shell, don’t worry, it will come soon.

this recipe keeps the tiramisu itself really simple and just layers in thinly sliced, ripe bananas (i honestly think thinly sliced or diced peaches would also be amazing here…) and a few tablespoons of luscious miso caramel. if you’ve never had miso caramel, think of it a bit like a deeper, slightly more savory salted caramel. it’s decidedly sweet but just adds a salty, slightly funky and toasty edge. it’s a really interesting and delicious combination that’s quite popular in lots of different desserts. if this is your first time seeing it, i’m sure it won’t be your last.

the recipe for the miso caramel below makes much more than you need for the tiramisu, but make it as written because it will keep for a month (or more tbh) in the fridge. here are some other ways to use it up: as a drizzle for ice cream, in smoothies or milkshakes, in layer or sheet cakes, over fresh fruit, whipped into cream, added to cookies, over crepes or french toast, mixed with maple syrup and poured over plate of pancakes, swiped onto toast or warm biscuits, swirled over a sweet galette—pretty much anywhere you would use a caramel or salted caramel sauce.

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for the miso caramel; makes about 200 grams (1/2 cup)

150 grams granulated sugar

60 milliliters water

120 milliliters heavy cream

2 tablespoons white miso

for the tiramisu, serves 6

2 large egg yolks

50 grams granulated sugar

75 milliliters heavy cream

200 grams mascarpone

150 milliliters very strong coffee or espresso

1 tablespoon rum (optional)

18 ladyfingers

3 tablespoons miso caramel (substitute: salted caramel sauce)

1 ripe banana

1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1. add sugar and water to a saucepan with a light-colored bottom (so you can see the color of the caramel, this is very important). set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil without stirring, just tilting and swirling the pot every so often. after about 8 minutes, when the sugar becomes a deep golden brown and wisps of smoke just start to form, remove from the heat.

2. once off the heat, add the cream, which will cause the caramel to bubble up. let it bubble then start to gently whisk; if the caramel starts to harden as you whisk, put the pan back over low heat and whisk until the caramel is a smooth liquid again before removing from the heat. whisk in the miso and allow to cool slightly before transferring to a glass jar; depending on your preference and the texture of your miso, you can also sieve the caramel into the jar to remove any lumps. let cool completely before covering and storing in the fridge for up to 1 month.

3. add egg yolks to a medium bowl with half the granulated sugar. using an electric hand mixer with beaters (or just a whisk and some muscle), whisk the mixture until pale yellow and tripled in volume; when you lift the whisk out of the bowl the mixture should softly fall down into the bowl, where you can see them for a few seconds before they disappear back into the mixture (this is called “ribbon stage”).

4. add heavy cream and remaining sugar to a separate bowl and whip (using the same beaters or whisk as for the egg yolks, but cleaned off!) to soft peaks. add mascarpone and whip to medium/stiff peaks. fold the mascarpone mixture into the egg yolk mixture with a rubber spatula until well combined (no streaks of yellow and white left) and smooth.

5. add espresso and rum to a shallow bowl or plate. thinly slice banana. quickly dip a ladyfinger in the espresso on both sides and place in your tin or baking dish (i use a 24x16 centimeter [9x6 inch] oval dish but you could also use a 20x20 cm [8x8 in] square tin). repeat until the bottom is completely covered in an even layer of ladyfingers. spread half the cream mixture evenly over the ladyfingers. drizzle with the miso caramel (it’s okay if it’s straight from the fridge, just “drizzle” as evenly as you can) and the banana slices. add another layer of the dipped ladyfingers then cover with the remaining cream mixture and smooth out the top with a rubber spatula.

6. add cocoa powder to a fine sieve and tap it over the tiramisu to cover in a thin layer. cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours before serving. the tiramisu will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.