Blackberry tiramisu to celebrate the publication of my novel “I Was the First”
If you follow Mama Ía blog you may have noticed I’ve been away from this space for a while, but this post hopefully explains why. It’s a good reason, but to make up for my absence, I’ll treat you to a really sweet, beautiful recipe: blackberry tiramisu.
And I know, too, that this is not a Spanish dessert. But I was looking for a beautiful dessert, not only sweet and tasty but pleasing to the eyes, and this one checked all the boxes—and my current taste buds.
As you probably know —because I’ve posted about it before and it shows in my blog—, I have a second gig (or is that the first?) as a writer. Sure, I write for this blog, but I also write stories and essays for publication, and in 2019 I published my first novel. Yo fui el primero, la increíble historia real de la primera vuelta al mundo, as the subtitle says, tells the story of the first voyage around the world by Magellan and Elcano.
The book is structured in alternating chapters where the events that happened during the greatest maritime journey of all time are narrated in the first person by its two characters, Diego and Enrique, two young men who embarked on the Armada de Molucca, as the expedition was known, with different backgrounds and circumstances, and who tell the story with their own voices, from their own points of view.
Celebrating Elcano and Magellan’s voyage
Yo fui el primero was published in 2019, coinciding with the 500th anniversary of the start of the voyage. Since then, the book has traveled the world! In 2019, soon after its publication, Yo fui el primero was included in the international educational project sponsored by University CEU Cardenal Herrera and the Armed Forces of Valencia. Through this program, students in educational institutions in Spain, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, the Philippines and Equatorial Guinea learned about Magellan and Elcano‘s first voyage around the world using, amongst other materials, this action-adventure and historical novel.
In 2020, the book was also included in the syllabus of the Spanish V Dual Credit class at Bishop Dwenger High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This is the fourth year that the students at this high school are learning about this amazing voyage. It is also the year when the teacher, Mrs. Fernanda Becker, and me, presented the program at the Indiana Foreign Language Teachers Association (IFLTA) annual conference. More presentations for different institutions are in the works. The program is also being enriched by a website where different educational materials will be available to other schools interested in establishing a similar program.
But the news today is that the same story is accessible to the English-speaking reader with the publication of I was the first, The Incredible True Story of the First Voyage Around the World! The past few months had me invested in making I Was the First a reality, working closely with the translator and also participating, to the extent of my possibilities, in the celebrations of the 500th anniversary of the completion if the voyage in September 2022. Tell me that this doesn’t merit a celebratory recipe like the blackberry tiramisu I’m sharing today!
Aside from the events mentioned, the book has provided me with experiences I would have never imagined. Last May, I was invited to attend the events related to the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the first trip around the world in Miami, with the presence of queen Sofia of Spain. I attended the conference The First Globalization and had the opportunity to swear allegiance to the flag of my country, Spain, aboard the training ship Juan Sebastián Elcano, where future officials of the Spanish army train.
Another of the highlights of the few days I spent in Miami was meeting some of the people I had connected with through social media, and that are protagonists in the celebrations of the 500th anniversary. I will mention Rear Admiral Santiago Barber López, member of the National Committee for the Celebrations of the 500th Anniversary of the First Circumnavigation and naval captain Carlos Maté San Román. But allow me to stop here, because the events of that weekend merit a separate post.
About the blackberry tiramisu
The blackberry tiramisu recipe I’m sharing today is a variation of the classic tiramisu (click here). Instead of flavoring the coffee with whiskey, for this blackberry tiramisu I flavored it with orange peel and vanilla. The blackberries add another layer of flavor, an extra tanginess or acidity that marries very well with the sweetness of the mascarpone cream. You can use your favorite coffee, but I particularly like using espresso, in this case I like the simplicity and ease of use of the Nespresso capsules. Four capsules using the long shot feature on my Nespresso machine were enough to dip all the cookies needed.
The books
As for the book, it is available now on Amazon worldwide, and if you live in the US or the UK, you can also order it through your local bookstores. It makes for a great Christmas/Hanukkah/holiday gift!
Let me know what you think —about the book and about the blackberry tiramisu! I appreciate your review of the book on the Amazon book’s page particularly (this helps the book rise in the rankings), as well as on the blog or in any of my social media accounts (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn). As for the blackberry tiramisu, you can comment below!
Cheers and happy Thanksgiving!
Links to the books:
I Was the First, PAPERBACK
Yo fui el primero, Special Edition V Centenario, PAPERBACK
Yo fui el primero, PAPERBACK
Yo fui el primero, eBOOK
BLACKBERRY TIRAMISU
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups espresso or brewed coffee
- 6 Tbs granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 3 3- inch strips of orange peel avoid white part
- 16 oz mascarpone cheese 2 tbs
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 packages ladyfingers cookies
- 2 Tbs Dutch processed cocoa powder
- 3 6- oz containers blackberries
Instructions
- Dissolve 3 Tbs sugar in the hot coffee. Then add the orange peels and vanilla. Let the mixture cool down and refrigerate while you make the cheese mixture.
- Separate the yolks from the whites. In a medium bowl, beat the yolks with the remaining 3 Tbs sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Add the cheese and beat until well incorporated and the mixture becomes smooth and lighter in color (I did it by hand, but you can use an electric mixer)
- In the clean bowl of a stand up mixer, whisk the egg whites until they become opaque and hold stiff, glossy peaks.
- Gently fold the egg whites into the cheese mixture. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
- Spread 3 Tbs cheese mixture evenly in the bottom of the ceramic dish. One by one, dip the ladyfingers in the coffee mixture and arrange them in one layer. Cover with 1/2 of the mascarpone mixture, spreading evenly. Using a small colander, dust with cocoa powder and scatter some of the blakberries. Repeat this process with one more layer of ladyfingers and finish with the last 1/2 of the mascarpone mixture. Dust with a good amount of cocoa powder and arrange the remaining blackberries on top. Refrigerate until ready to eat.
Notes
- Use espresso or strongly brewed coffee
- The tiramisu will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days
