Stracciatella Mousse Tiramisu Icebox Cake for Mamush’s Birthday

As you know, our year began with one of the most moving events of our lives. Together, we received the Medal of Honor of Paris from Anne Hidalgo, the Mayor of Paris. At a touching ceremony held last month at the Hôtel de Ville, in front of dozens of friends and colleagues, Hidalgo told our story through her eyes.

For several long minutes, she spoke about each of our journeys, about the story of how we met, and about our contribution to the City of Light. When she presented us with the medal itself, she took both medals in her hands and explained that usually a medal is given to one person, but because we are together, inseparable, the medal is awarded to both of us – each with her own medal.

You could say this was our birthday gift, for the coming year, for life in general. We don’t act with the intention of receiving awards, but when recognition comes, it warms the heart so much, moves us, and brings good energy after years that haven’t been easy for any of us.

Mama wasn’t physically present at the ceremony, but her love for Gali and for our relationship goes with me, with us, always. “Now I understand why you’re so happy, I want to meet her now.” That was the sentence Mama said to me when I told her that the friend who came to visit me during Sukkot wasn’t just a friend – she was my love. But she didn’t just say it as empty words; she truly believed it, always, and it will stay with me forever.

I remember that moment as if it were yesterday. I had just finished training and was standing by the stairs of a metro station in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, not far from the Champs-Élysées. The adrenaline, the love, the understanding that my heart had chosen, and the knowledge that Mama would surely be happy for me – all of this led me to stand in the middle of a Paris street and call her. Of course, my heart was racing at 200 beats per minute, not just from the workout but mainly from excitement, because deep down I knew Mama would accept me with love, exactly as I am.

If you’d like to read the story of how we met, you’ll find it in the blog. If you already know the story, you know (spoiler alert approaching) that we were born on the same date, February 18th, and also on the same Hebrew date, the 30th of Shevat. I’m not looking for explanations; I just know that love does indeed sometimes fall from the sky 🙂

Every year I think about what cake I’ll create for Mamush for her birthday, something sophisticated, special, the kind you can only make for someone you love. After Mama passed away, I chose to make her a cake from Mama’s home. My childhood cake, very simple, with basic ingredients but with an ocean of memories and love in every bite. I found the recipe for the cake we grew up on in Mama’s yellowed recipe notebook, and it has since become a regular fixture in our charming Parisian apartment.

This year I decided to combine several of Mamush’s loves into one sinfully indulgent cake. Stracciatella mousse tiramisu icebox cake, a perfect combination of several desserts that come together to create a decadent treat you simply can’t stop eating.

Layers of real petit beurre biscuits soaked in coffee syrup and liqueur, with rich white chocolate mascarpone mousse in between, generously studded with dark chocolate chips. Mamush asked me to make this dessert again and again, so it’s currently resting in the fridge, once more.

By the way, I prepared the recipe in advance, of course, so it would be ready to share with you on her birthday. This meant we did the photo shoot during the stunning Parisian snowfall that blessed us – pure joy.

Stracciatella Mousse Tiramisu Icebox Cake
Long Pyrex dish 25cm, height 7cm

Ingredients
Coffee Syrup:
180g brewed espresso or strong brewed coffee
15g sugar
30g coffee liqueur like Kahlúa or brandy or rum

Stracciatella Mousse:
150g white chocolate
700g heavy whipping cream (divided into 150g + 550g)
Seeds from 1 vanilla bean
60g mascarpone cheese at room temperature
35g powdered sugar
150g quality dark chocolate, chopped (70% and above)

Assembly:
About 40g fine cocoa powder, sifted
About 250g high-quality petit beurre biscuits

Preparation
1. Coffee Syrup: Dissolve the sugar in the coffee, add liqueur and mix. Let cool.
2. Stracciatella Mousse: In a small saucepan, melt together the white chocolate, 150g cream, and vanilla bean seeds. Set aside to cool.
3. Whip 550g cream with mascarpone and powdered sugar to stiff peaks.
4. Fold the melted cream and chocolate mixture into the whipped cream, add the chopped chocolate and fold gently (save a little of the chopped chocolate for serving).

Assembly
5. Line the bottom of the dish with a layer of petit beurre biscuits.
6. Moisten the biscuits (while they’re in the dish) with about 2-3 tablespoons of coffee syrup.
7. Sprinkle a little cocoa over the biscuits (optional).
8. Pour half the stracciatella mousse over the biscuits and smooth gently.
9. Arrange another layer of biscuits on the cream, moisten with coffee syrup and sprinkle with a little cocoa. Repeat with the remaining half of the stracciatella mousse and another (third and final) layer of biscuits, which you moisten with coffee syrup. Sprinkle with cocoa and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
10. Remove from the fridge, sprinkle with a bit more cocoa if needed for a perfect appearance, and serve with a large spoon. You can scatter some of the reserved chopped chocolate over each serving.
Tip: The longer you wait before serving the dessert, the more set it will be. I love it both soft and firm, so I have no problem tasting it even when it’s not completely set yet.

I love you as much as all the mousse in the world, times all the tiramisu, times all the chocolate chips, factorial!
Bon-Appétit
Sharon