St Timothy’s Tiramisu
Every month in her Cape Town kitchen, Grazia Barletta prepares a recipe inspired by the saints, and shares it with our readers in text and photos taken exclusively for The Southern Cross by the chef herself.
You’ll know St Timothy as the recipient of two letters from St Paul in the New Testament, or perhaps as the first bishop of Ephesus, in modern-day Turkey.
Born in Lystra as the son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother, Timothy was a timid, affectionate young man. His mother raised him as a Christian, and Timothy probably embraced the faith during St Paul’s first visit to Lystra. On a return trip in 50 AD, Paul found Timothy so esteemed by the local Christians that he asked Timothy, by now in his thirties, to join him in spreading the Gospel on his missionary journeys.
Timothy became St Paul’s protégé, and later his constant companion and co-worker in preaching. In the year 52, Paul and Silas took Timothy with them on their journey to Macedonia. Timothy left his country, his house and his parents, to follow the apostle, and to share in his poverty and sufferings — just as Christ had commanded. Timothy might have suffered ill health or “frequent ailments”, and Paul encouraged him to “use a little wine for your stomach’s sake”.
Timothy was with Paul in Corinth, in modern Greece, during the winter of 57–58 when Paul dispatched his Letter to the Romans. His relationship with Paul was close. Timothy’s name appears as the co-author of 2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon. Paul wrote to the Philippians about Timothy, saying: “I have no one like him.” When Paul was in prison and awaiting martyrdom in Rome, he summoned his faithful friend Timothy for a last farewell.
Timothy was jailed at least once, as the writer of Hebrews (now widely thought not to have been St Paul) mentions Timothy’s release towards the end of the epistle.
Timothy died a martyr in 97 AD at the age of 80. When he tried to halt a pagan procession by preaching the Gospel, he was beaten to death.
His feast day is January 26. Because of his frail health, he is the patron of people with stomach disorders.
Timothy was a mild-mannered man with a kind character but sometimes had to leaven his sweetness with a touch of tartness. So what better way than to celebrate this early missionary with tiramisu, with its delicious contrasts in sweetness, acidity and the chocolate bitterness of cocoa?
This popular Italian dessert is so easy to make and its name literally means “pick/cheer me up”. Made with mascarpone cheese, it is light and is sure to make you feel better from any ailments. The secret is to prepare it a day or two before serving; as the tiramisu sets, the taste develops.
Ingredients
5 tbsp sugar • 2 large eggs • 2 packets of finger biscuits • 1 tub mascarpone cheese • 30 ml coffee liqueur or whisky • 500ml espresso coffee • cocoa for dusting
Preparation: 35 min (plus overnight in the fridge) • Servings: 8
Preparation:
- Whisk the sugar and eggs till pale and creamy. Then add in the mascarpone and beat till thick.
- Dip the biscuits in a coffee liqueur mix. Then arrange a layer in a dish of choice and pour half of the cheese mix over. Then arrange another biscuit layer and cover with the rest of the cheese mix.
- Dust cocoa powder over the top and place in the fridge. Ideally, let rest for two days before serving.
- Enjoy with a prayer to St Timothy!
Grazia Barletta is an author, book designer, and food photographer & stylist. She can be contacted at . Follow her blog at www.momentswithgrazia.com and connect with Grazia on Facebook/Instagram: momentswithgrazia
Published in the September 2023 issue of The Southern Cross magazine
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