Raw vegan chestnut and chocolate tiramisu

Tiramisu is one of the best-known and most widespread desserts in existence, which means that almost everyone knows it and, at the same time, that nobody knows its origin for certain.

Although some say it appeared in the 1970s in the Veneto region, there are versions that claim it is a sweet created in Siena in the 17th century for the visit of the Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo III de' Medici, and that the name originally given to it was "Zuppa del duca" in his honor.

According to this version, the duke was so delighted that he took it to the court in Florence and, from there and thanks to its good reputation, it spread to the Veneto region, where courtiers ate it for its stimulating properties, which is why it began to be called "Tiramisù", which in Italian means "pick me up" (something like "cheer me up").

Another very widespread version says that it is a sweet dating from the 1950s that comes from the Veneto region, where it was offered by madams in brothels to cheer up the customers.

After these establishments were banned in 1958, it was not until 10 years later that this dessert was heard of again, when the owner of a restaurant chain in the same region said she had created it in the 1970s together with her pastry chef, although to this day they do not agree with each other on who the real author is.

This last version is the one gaining the most weight in recent times, and the Veneto region is fighting to be granted the TSG (Traditional Specialty Guaranteed) certification for it.

As for the tiramisu recipe, it has changed over the years, going from a more liquid version to a firmer one, and now that we are in a new century and know that we can make any dish, sweet or savory, without using any animal-derived product, we can add new versions of this dessert that will allow us to enjoy it even more, since we will know that nobody had to suffer for its production and that, in addition, they are much healthier.

This raw tiramisu is made with a sweet layer of chestnut cream and another layer of chocolate mousse, which in turn rests on a firm base with an intense coffee flavor, free of flour and made with no added sugars.

This is an ideal sweet for autumn, not only because it is chestnut season, but because chestnuts help us warm up the body and face the first cold days thanks to their richness in carbohydrates.

But besides being very rich in complex carbohydrates, which fill us up and give us long-lasting energy, chestnuts also have a high content of fiber, B vitamins (B1, B3, B6 and B9, or folic acid), potassium and iron.