The Secret Ingredient Melissa King Adds To Tiramisu For Complex Flavor

For a simple yet impressive dessert, look no further than tiramisu. It can be found on menus ranging from fine-dining restaurants to casual eateries and even purchased frozen in retail stores such as Trader Joe's. Tiramisu originated in northern Italy in the late 20th century, where it gained its popularity due to its handful of simple ingredients that pack a bold yet balanced set of flavors.

Traditionally, tiramisu consists of lady finger cookies soaked in espresso, layered with smooth mascarpone and dusted with cocoa powder. It's often enjoyed as an afternoon or after-dinner dessert. The bitter espresso combined with the creamy and sweet elements give the desert a perfect balance, not to mention a slight caffeine jolt to continue on with your day or evening out. 

While a tried-and-true classic is great, you might be on the lookout for a new twist on an old favorite. And "Top Chef" Season 17 winner Melissa King delivers. She gives the Italian classic a robust flavor boost thanks to one secret ingredient: Hong Kong-style milk tea.

Hong Kong milk tea came onto the scene during the mid to late 20th century, during the British rule of Hong Kong, when afternoon tea made with local staples became popular in the city. 

Because fresh, fluid milk isn't common in the region, black tea was strained and poured into glasses atop a mixture of condensed or evaporated milk and sugar instead. The result was an intensely delicious and bold array of creamy, sweet flavors balanced with the bitter tannins of the black tea. Today, Hong Kong milk tea is used to make the city's favorite drinks, including bubble tea, and it's enjoyed in cafes and bakeries across Hong Kong.

The creamy and bitter complementary play of this favorite drink works similarly in chef Melissa King's tiramisu. In her tiramisu recipe, King replaces the espresso with Hong Kong instant milk tea powder, using it in both her mascarpone custard filling and to make a bold tea mixture in which she soaks the traditional lady fingers. Compared to the espresso used in traditional tiramisu recipes, which can have a range of nutty, chocolate, and even floral flavor notes, the black tea imparts a more astringent, earthy profile, adding an element of depth to this sweet treat.

Similar to espresso, rich and silky milk tea is available in an instant format for use in baking. It can be found in Asian supermarkets, retail stores, or online (chef Melissa King recommends the Prince of Peace brand). Like the beverage consumed in cafes across Hong Kong, the instant version typically contains a spray-dried combination of black tea, condensed or evaporated milk, and sugar. To use it in baking, simply hydrate the instant mix by incorporating it into warm liquid. 

For her tiramisu, King uses eight and a half tablespoons of instant Hong Kong milk tea powder, divided. One tablespoon of the milk tea powder is whisked into her silky mascarpone custard, and she incorporates the rest to make a tea mixture consisting of warm water and Madeira (a fortified Portuguese wine), which is then used to soak the lady fingers. 

To finish, she assembles her tiramisu in single serve glasses by layering the milk tea soaked lady fingers with her milk tea mascarpone custard. The chef then tops each culinary work of art with whipped cream and grated chocolate to finish.