Burnt honey and hazelnut tiramisu
Tiramisu on burnt honey, not coffee. One batch, taken to mahogany, runs through soak, sabayon and nuts.
Formula
% · mascarpone = 100A is made once and split: 120 g into the soak, 40 g into the sabayon, 20 g over the nuts.
Honey: a dark wildflower or buckwheat burns with more character than clover. Either works.
Altitude, 4,700 ft: water boils near 95 °C; the bain-marie still takes the sabayon to 70 °C. Nothing changes.
Savoiardi: sheet PA-005, dried overnight; or bought crisp Italian (Balocco, Vicenzi). Dust with 4 g cocoa.
† Doesn't scale in a straight line past 2×.
| Ingredient | % | Grams | Scaled × | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Burnt honey · made once, split three ways | ||||
| Honey · dark if you have it | 36.0 | 180 | ||
| Water · hot, to stop it | 8.0 | 40 | ||
| Fine sea salt | 0.6 | 3 | ||
| B Soak | ||||
| Whole milk | 48.0 | 240 | ||
| Burnt honey (A) | 24.0 | 120 | ||
| Vanilla extract † · 1 tsp | 1.0 | 5 | ||
| C Mascarpone cream | ||||
| Egg yolks · 4 large | 14.4 | 72 | ||
| Granulated sugar | 12.0 | 60 | ||
| Burnt honey (A) | 8.0 | 40 | ||
| Mascarpone · cold | 100.0 | 500 | ||
| Heavy cream · cold | 50.0 | 250 | ||
| D Honeyed hazelnuts | ||||
| Hazelnuts · raw, skin on | 20.0 | 100 | ||
| Burnt honey (A) | 4.0 | 20 | ||
| Flaky salt | 0.4 | 2 | ||
| E Assembly · outside the formula | ||||
| Savoiardi PA-005 · ≈ 24, or bought | — | 200 | ||
Method
Tick each step as doneHoney by colour, not thermometer. Stop at deep mahogany with a sharp, tobacco smell; black is acrid.
Mascarpone straight from the fridge, loosened with a spoon, never whipped — warm or overworked it breaks.
The soak is thin. One second a side; the finger should still be dry in the middle.
- 01
Burn. Honey in the deep pan on medium-high. It foams, then darkens; swirl, don't stir.
6–10 min
Deep mahogany - 02
Stop. Off heat. Hot water in — it spits — then the salt. Swirl smooth; cool to warm.
—
Pourable - 03
Soak. Whisk 120 g burnt honey and the vanilla into the milk. Chill until cold.
20 min
≤ 8 °C - 04
Toast. Hazelnuts on a sheet. Rub off the skins in a towel while hot; return to the sheet.
12–14 min
175 °C 350 °F - 05
Glaze. Toss the hot nuts with 20 g burnt honey and the flaky salt. Cool; chop coarse.
—
Dry to the touch - 06
Sabayon. Yolks, sugar and 40 g burnt honey over simmering water; whisk without stopping.
5–7 min
70 °C, ribbon - 07
Cool. Off the water; whisk on medium until pale, thick and cool to the touch.
3–4 min
Room temp - 08
Mascarpone. Loosen with a spoon. Fold the sabayon in, in two adds. Stop when smooth.
—
No lumps - 09
Cream. Whip the cream to soft peaks; fold in, in two adds. Holds a soft mound.
—
Soft peak
Trials
Change one variable per trialA is the sheet as written.
B pushes the honey darker — a shade past mahogany, for the staff room.
C swaps the hazelnuts for toasted almonds.
| Variable | Trial A | Trial B | Trial C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | |||
| Change | As written | Honey darker | Almonds |
| Honey colour | |||
| Cut held? | |||
| Staff rating 1–5 |
Batch log
Fill in by handMethod
Tick each step as done- 10
Dip. Savoiardi in the soak, one second a side. Twelve in a tight layer; trim to fit.
—
1 s a side - 11
Layer. Half the cream, spread; half the hazelnuts. Twelve more, dipped; the rest of the cream.
— - 12
Set. Cover; refrigerate. Overnight is better than 6 h.
6–12 h
4 °C - 13
Finish. Cocoa through a sieve; remaining hazelnuts over. Cut 3 × 3 with a hot knife.
—
Assembly
Section, to scaleDone when
And how it keepsIf it goes wrong
Most likely cause firstRevisions
Newest last| Rev | Date | Change | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rev 01 | 2026-09-28 | First issue | — |
| Rev 02 | 2026-09-28 | Cites PA-005 | — |
| Rev 03 | 2026-09-28 | Assembly section figure | Review |