United Arab Emirates, Middle East and Africa · Luqaimat

Tiramisu Luqaimat

Name: Tiramisu Luqaimat
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: Serves 2
Cuisine: United Arab Emirates
Ingredients: All-purpose flour 120 g; Cornstarch 15 g; Instant dry yeast ¾ tsp; Sugar (for the batter) 1½ tsp; Ground cardamom ½ tsp; Salt 1 pinch; Lukewarm water (37–40 °C) 160 ml; Strong espresso 70 ml; Sugar (for the coffee syrup) 2 tbsp; Mascarpone, cold 100 g; Heavy cream, cold 60 ml; Powdered sugar 1½ tbsp; Neutral oil, for frying 600 ml; Unsweetened cocoa powder 1½ tsp

Emirati meets Italian: freshly fried cardamom luqaimat rolled in sweet espresso syrup, piled on mascarpone cream and dusted with cocoa.

ServingsServes 2

Total cooking time45 min

Rising+ 1 h

DifficultyMedium

About servingsKeep children away from hot oil. If the oil catches fire, never use water: cover the pot with a lid and turn off the heat.

Method

Mix the flour, cornstarch, yeast, sugar, cardamom and salt in a bowl, pour in the lukewarm water and beat hard for , until you have a smooth, glossy, thick batter that stretches in sticky strands when you lift the spatula.
Add in this stepAll-purpose flour 120 gCornstarch 15 gInstant dry yeast ¾ tspSugar (for the batter) 1½ tspGround cardamom ½ tspSalt 1 pinchLukewarm water (37–40 °C) 160 ml
Cover and leave in a warm place for . When it has doubled and is full of bubbles, stir once or twice to knock out the big bubbles.
While it rises, make the toppings. Dissolve the coffee-syrup sugar in the hot espresso, pour it into a wide dish and let it cool. In another bowl, whisk the cold mascarpone, cream and powdered sugar for , stopping as soon as it holds soft peaks, then chill it. Overwhipped, it turns grainy and splits.
Add in this stepStrong espresso 70 mlSugar (for the coffee syrup) 2 tbspMascarpone, cold 100 gHeavy cream, cold 60 mlPowdered sugar 1½ tbsp
Pour at least 5 cm of oil into a 18 cm pot and heat on medium-high heat to 175 °C; a drop of batter should sizzle and float straight away.
Add in this stepNeutral oil, for frying 600 ml
medium-high heat
With two oiled teaspoons, drop walnut-sized blobs of batter gently into the oil close to the surface. Fry in 2 batches, per batch, rolling constantly until evenly deep golden, and adjust to medium heat to hold 170–175 °C. Never leave the pot unattended. Lift out and drain on a rack.
medium heat
Roll the warm luqaimat in the coffee syrup for just 3 seconds each. Spread the mascarpone cream in glasses or on a plate, pile the luqaimat on top, dust generously with cocoa through a fine sieve and serve at once. The contrast of crisp shell, coffee-soaked bite and cold cream is the point.
Add in this stepUnsweetened cocoa powder 1½ tsp

Cook's tip

Left in the coffee syrup too long they go soggy, so just roll them through. If the cream is too stiff, fold in 1 more tablespoon of cream. For children, use decaf coffee or strong cocoa instead of espresso.

Cooking it at camp

Deep-frying at a campsite is risky. Fry the luqaimat at home and pack them airtight, carry the cream cold in a cooler, brew the coffee on site for the syrup, warm the luqaimat in a dry pan and assemble.