Tiramisù

Tiramisù is coffee-soaked sponge fingers layered with sweet mascarpone cream and dusted with bitter cocoa. It is Italy's best-known dessert, and its name means "pick me up" — a nod to the coffee that runs through it.

What it actually is

Savoiardi (sponge fingers) are dipped briefly in cooled espresso — long enough to soak, not long enough to collapse. They are layered with a cream of mascarpone, egg yolks and sugar, whipped until thick and airy. The top is dusted with unsweetened cocoa.

It then rests in the fridge for several hours. That wait is part of the recipe: the layers set, and the biscuit softens into something closer to cake.

Its origin is usually placed in the Veneto, and in Treviso in particular, in the 1960s or 1970s.

How it's served

• Cut from a tray into squares, cold from the fridge.
• In individual glasses or jars, which travel well for delivery and takeaway.
• With or without alcohol — Marsala, rum or coffee liqueur, depending on the kitchen.

Writing it on a menu

• Say whether it contains alcohol; plenty of guests are choosing for children or for themselves.
• Note how the eggs are handled — raw, pasteurised, or cooked as a zabaglione base.
• It contains gluten, egg and dairy; if you offer a version without one of them, list it separately.