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97 STREGA PRIME 100 Sylvan Rd. Woburn, stregaprime.com Alexander Bonnefoi is the executive pastry chef for The Varano Group. (SERVES 8-10) Bonnefoi recommends using Bel Gioioso brand mascarpone, which is much less watery than other brands. He's also simplified this recipe by using store-bought Ladyfinger biscuits (not the soft ones), instead of homemade ones. If you don't have an espresso machine, you can use instant espresso powder or simply substitute 1 cup of very strong coffee. 1 leaf of gelatin (or 1 tsp. powdered gelatin) 3/4 cup pure maple syrup 1 cup heavy cream 4 large egg yolks 3/4 cup mascarpone (BelGioioso brand, if possible) 20 prepared Ladyfinger biscuits 1 cup espresso coffee 3 Tbsp. Amaretto liqueur Unsweetened cocoa powder for garnishing 1. Soften the gelatin leaf in a bowl of cold water or dissolve powdered gelatin in 1 tablespoon of cold water. 2. Place the maple syrup in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When bit starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the syrup has reduced to 1/2 cup. 3. Slowly whisk the heavy cream into the reduced maple syrup. Then, one by For his dessert, French-born Alexander Bonnefoi, executive pastry chef for e Varano Group, which includes the Italian restaurant, Strega Prime in Woburn, has picked maple tiramisu, a traditional Ital- ian dessert with a New England spin. Bonnefoi first made the dessert when working at the three-star Michelin restaurant at the Four Sea- sons George V in Paris. "So many guests were American and I wanted to make something familiar for them," he says, referring to the maple flavor. To craft the dessert, Bonnefoi first soaks ladyfinger biscuits in espresso sweetened with amaretto liqueur, and then he tops them with a cloud of mascarpone blended with a custard that's been sweetened with reduced maple syrup. He repeats the process to create a second layer and then chills the dessert for several hours before garnishing with unsweetened cocoa powder. "It's very creamy and silky in the mouth," says Bonnefoi. "You taste the maple syrup, but it's not overpowering like when you eat pancakes. is dessert is delicate and very sophisticated, but very simple to make." one, whisk in the egg yolks. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, and whisk constantly until the mixture has thickened slightly, about 1 minute. Remove the custard from the heat and drain the softened gelatin leaf from the water and add to the custard (or add the softened granules). Whisk until the gelatin has completely dissolved. Cover the custard and refrigerate for several hours or until cold. 4. Add the mascarpone to the cold custard and with electric beaters, beat the mixture on high until it is the consistency of whipped cream. 5. Blend together the espresso and Amaretto in a shallow bowl. Dip one Ladyfinger in the coffee mixture, coating both sides, and place on the bottom of a decorative glass bowl. Repeat the process with nine or more ladyfingers. 6. Fill a pastry bag with half of the mascarpone mixture and squirt a portion over each biscuit (or use a spoon to dollop half the cream mixture over the ten biscuits). Repeat the process, making a second layer of coffee-soaked ladyfingers topped with the remaining half of the mascarpone mixture. Refrigerate the tiramisu for several hours until cold. Just before serving, shake a little unsweetened cocoa powder through a small strainer over the tiramisu. PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF THE VARANO GROUP