I’m in the kitchen this morning with Eva Scott and a dish of Tiramisu, one of my favourite desserts. It’s a dish that has endless variations depending on the cook and the tastes of those who will eat the finished product. Too sweet and it’s disgusting, not enough sweet and it’s just bitter stodge. The best Tiramisu I have ever had is that made by my sister-in-law in America. I could and did eat bowl after bowl of her semi-sweet Tiramisu and grieved when it was all gone. Eva’s Tiramisu, (recipe below), is made with the hazelnut liquor Frangelico and real hazelnuts and I’ve never met a hazelnut I didn’t like, so I think I’ll be having a go at this recipe. Eva is an Australian author and you an find out more about her and her books on her website. Eva loves to cook and it’s been remarkable to discover while doing this series how many authors don’t like cooking. I do, so Eva is very welcome in the somewhat messy kitchen this morning.

What are your memories of your mothers cooking as a child?

Curiously it’s my grandmothers I remember best. Both cooked very traditionally. One Nanna famous for her roast lamb and the other for her dumpling stew.

What was your favourite dish as a child?

Do you like to cook?

Love it. Currently having a romance with Yottam Ottolenghi. http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk/

The flavours from Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking are sublime. A girlfriend who is Moroccan/Israeli put me on to him. Divine! I like experiencing flavour combinations completely new to me.

Who do you enjoy cooking for? If you don’t enjoy cooking, then what do you like to eat?

I enjoy cooking for my husband who is an enthusiastic sampler. He’ll give anything a try and offer honest opinion. It’s wonderful having someone who appreciates the food you make.

What are some of your favourite books about food?

Two categories here. Number one = cooking books. Number two = novels about food or with food.

Cooking books include Nigella Lawson’s Kitchen, Yottam Ottolenghi’s Jerusalem and Adam Liaw’s Asian After Work. These three are my current go-to in the kitchen.

As to novels I love anything by Barbara O’Neal (The Secret of Everything, Lost Receipe for Happiness) http://www.barbaraoneal.com/ and Isabel Allende’s Aphrodite: A Memoir of the Senses. http://isabelallende.com/ia/en/home/5

Is the food in your stories important?

So far food has never been central to the plot I have enjoyed researching food for my novels set in Ancient Rome. And the Tiramisu in Marriage Makeover is to die for! I make it for dinner parties and special occasions. It’s got quite a kick.

Your favourite snack?

It’s a revolving door. This week I’m in love with homemade hummus – the spicy kind.

What’s your latest book?

The Marriage Makeover – Nick and Talia Carmichael were childhood sweethearts. Grief over the death of their baby daughter from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome crushed their marriage. Talia moved to a new city, with a new career and life. Now it’s time to close the door on the past and ask Nick for a divorce.

Nick has other ideas. Once his wife, always his wife. He has no intention of letting Talia off so lightly and proposes terms and conditions to his agreement. It will mean moving back into their marital home, and force her to face long buried grief. Can she do as he asks?

Being with Nick causes her to question everything she thought was true. Has she made a mistake thinking her love for Nick is dead? Can he still love her? More importantly, can he again trust after everything they’ve been through?

What foods do the characters eat?

Talia and her best friend share a delicious Tiramisu made on Frangelico liqueur.

What do you love most about this book?

This is a second chances romance which I adore.

Where can readers find it?

Musa Publishing

Share one of your favourite recipes – anything you like, cake, martini, Peking Duck, cheese on toast …

Talia and her best friend Davan have this for dessert at their favourite restaurant. Tiramisu means “pick me up” which refers to the shot of espresso but I like to add Frangelico to give it a real kick. You can add any liqueur that takes your fancy. Frangelico gives the dish a lovely nutty flavour. Enjoy!

FRANGELICO TIRAMISU

I like to make this dish in a foil tray (roughly 24cm square-ish). Foil bbq trays are exactly the right depth and there’s no washing up later! Alternatively any dish the same size will do fine.

Ingredients

• 250ml espresso coffee. If you don’t have the real deal you can dissolve 15g of espresso powder into 250ml of boiling water and it will do the trick.

• 250ml of Frangelico. I always find the savoiardi biscuits soak up the liqueur quickly so keep the bottle on hand for top ups.

• 30 savoiardi biscuits. There are two sizes so you may need less if you purchase the large biscuits.

For the filling:

• 2 eggs, separated

• 75g castor sugar

• 60ml Frangelico hazelnut liqueur

• 500g mascarpone

• 100g chopped roasted hazelnuts

• 3 teaspoons of good quality cocoa powder.

Method

1. Combine the cooled coffee and 250ml of Frangelico in a jug

2. Beat the egg whites until frothy. Place the yokes in a separate bowl and beat with the castor sugar and 60ml of Frangelico.

3. Add the mascarpone to the yolk mix, combine well.

4. Carefully fold the frothy egg whites into the mascarpone mix and combine well.

5. Pour half the coffee and Frangelico mix into a wide shallow bowl (or similar dish). Dip the biscuits into the mix ensuring both sides are coated. Do this quickly to ensure the biscuits are damp but not soaking. They do soak up liquid very quickly so don’t leave them sitting in the bowl or you’ll run out of coffee/Frangelico very quickly. Prepare enough biscuits to form one layer and place them in the dish.

6. Place half the mascarpone mix on top of the soaked biscuits, spreading it out for even coverage.

7. Repeat step 5 using the remaining coffee/Frangelico liquid and leftover biscuits.

8. Repeat step 6.

9. Cover the dish with cling film and refrigerate overnight – or for at least 6 hours.

10. Before serving the tiramisu combine the chopped hazelnuts and cocoa. Sprinkle this mixture over the top layer of mascarpone.

**Please note this dish contains raw eggs so may not be suitable for people with compromised or weak immune systems such as small children, the elderly or pregnant women.