In our recent collaboration with  F Mayer Imports, we were challenged to come up with an Italian themed recipe that used the following three ingredients - Royal Line Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, Latteria mascarpone and Mulino Bianco Barilla Pavesini. These sorts of challenges are right up our alley. We love experimenting with flavours and playing with ingredient combinations. The end result was this recipe for Strawberry Balsamic Tiramisu. It's our modern twist on the traditional tiramisu - the beautiful sweetness of the strawberries balances perfectly with the mild acidity of the balsamic vinegar and the creamy lusciousness of the mascarpone. We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we enjoyed creating it.

For information on where to purchase these wonderful ingredients, as well as an array of other wonderful gourmet food products, visit www.mayers.com.au

Makes 4 – 6 glasses

Ingredients

60ml Royal Line Balsamic Vinegar of Modena

¼ cup Caster sugar

500g Strawberries, thinly sliced

500g Latteria mascarpone

1/3 cup icing sugar

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

1 packet (200g) Mulino Bianco Barilla Pavesini

Mint leaves and slivered almonds to garnish

Instructions

1. Whisk the balsamic vinegar and caster sugar in a bowl until the sugar has dissolved. Add 250g of strawberries, mix to combine and set aside to marinate for at least 20 minutes. Place the other 250g of sliced strawberries in a separate bowl.

2. Place the mascarpone, icing sugar, egg yolk and vanilla paste in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until thick and well combined.

3. Once the balsamic strawberries have marinated for at least 20 minutes, drain the strawberries from the liquid, reserving the balsamic liquid.

To assemble the glass dessert:

4. Place the mascarpone mixture into a piping bag with a large, wide piping nozzle. Pipe 1 tablespoon of mascarpone mixture into the bottom of the serving glass.

5. Place a layer of biscuits over the mascarpone mixture. Pipe a layer of the mascarpone mixture over the biscuits. Top with a layer of fresh sliced strawberries. Repeat this layering process two more times.

6. Spoon the balsamic marinated strawberries on top of the final layer. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the reserved balsamic liquid over the tiramisu.

7. Decorate with mint leaves and slivered almonds.

Food photography, story and recipe creation by Effi Tsoukatos & Caterina Sterrantino for the Sydney Food Sisters