Just Stick Biscuits into Greek Yogurt: Ryuji Tries a "Slapdash Tiramisu"

The original idea was that sticking Coconut Sablé cookies into yogurt produces a no-bake cheesecake. According to Ryuji, for a while there were a huge number of posts sharing this image with the words "Ryuji, I believe in you." Even though it wasn't their recipe, their name was being used, so it caught the eye of Ryuji, who often searches for their own name online.

Ryuji also considered simply making the no-bake cheesecake as is. But since Valentine's Day was approaching, they decided to make tiramisu instead. Ryuji stressed several times that this recipe does not belong to anyone in particular, and that it is their own unofficial arrangement.

There are five ingredients: Greek yogurt, Morinaga Choice biscuits, instant coffee, sugar, and cocoa powder, all bought at a supermarket.

Ryuji wanted to use Partheno, a Greek yogurt they had previously collaborated with. However, the store didn't carry it, so they bought a 375g tub from an unfamiliar brand. Ryuji notes that Partheno should be around 285g, so viewers should be careful about the difference in quantity. This time, all 375g is used. Any brand of Greek yogurt is fine, they say.

Instead of the Coconut Sablé from the original, Ryuji switched to Choice biscuits. The reason is that Coconut Sablé would definitely not go with tiramisu. Any sugar works, not just granulated sugar. Ryuji also answers that a sweetened type of cocoa powder is fine.

The cocoa powder was expensive, at 400 yen for 40g. Ryuji says the reason is that cacao prices have soared, pushing up the price of chocolate across the board. They also offer the view that this year's Valentine's Day could be rough.

Once opened, the Greek yogurt is unsweetened, firm from having its moisture drained, and chewy in texture. After tasting it, Ryuji judged that it had nowhere near enough sweetness to become tiramisu as is. So they added 30g of sugar and mixed it in. Since no eggs are used, 30g is enough, and they want to keep the sweetness modest.

On why they insist on Greek yogurt, Ryuji explains by comparing it with how they make their own tiramisu. Ryuji usually makes tiramisu with cream cheese and heavy cream. Greek yogurt is rich and has qualities like a combination of the two. That's why it should taste good, Ryuji reasons. They also say regular yogurt would probably not be rich enough. On the other hand, they predicted the result would be much lighter than their own tiramisu.

Ryuji is also clear about the difference in effort. According to Ryuji, their own tiramisu is a laborious recipe, and this one is far easier. After tasting the mixed yogurt with a spoon, they gave it their verdict: "I think this is really good."

The Choice biscuits are soaked in strong coffee. Dissolve 1 tablespoon of instant coffee in 50cc of hot water, or ideally around 40cc. Ryuji figures this gets it close to espresso strength.

The reason for using less water is to avoid adding excess moisture to the yogurt. For the same reason, the biscuits are not soaked in the coffee, only "passed through" it. Holding them with tongs makes the work easier.

When actually doing it, the biscuits turn fragile the moment they absorb the coffee. One even broke apart and fell during filming. Ryuji's key point is to stick each biscuit in right after dipping it in the coffee. How it looks when you stick it in doesn't affect the final result, so there's no need to worry if it crumbles, they say.

Ryuji isn't a fan of coffee, but after biting into a Choice biscuit soaked in the strong coffee, they said it was "insanely good."

The coffee-dipped biscuits are inserted vertically into the yogurt one after another. It ends up looking like a row of walls, and the staff were puzzled, unable to picture the finished dish at all.

Ryuji explains how it works as follows. Tiramisu is a dessert made simply by layering cream with coffee-soaked biscuit and chilling it overnight. There's no baking step either, so among pastry chefs it's said to be a very easy dessert. Ryuji normally makes it by stacking cream and coffee-soaked cookies. This time, they are simply lining them up sideways, and sticking them in means the same thing as layering them. Here, the Greek yogurt plays the role of a "firm yogurt cream," and in theory it's almost tiramisu, with the only real difference being that it contains no eggs.

The more biscuits you put in, the more it resembles tiramisu. Ryuji packed them in all the way to the edges and stopped when no more would fit. At this quantity, one or two Choice biscuits are left over.

Ryuji called the person who came up with this idea a genius. They say the only part they borrowed was "sticking them in," and that this was what inspired them.

According to Ryuji, this method apparently became somewhat popular overseas under a name like "Japanese tiramisu." The overseas examples used biscuits with a caramel-like flavor (referred to as "biscotti" in the subtitles).

Those biscuits were available at the supermarket too, but cost about twice as much as Choice. Using them would have brought the cost to around 1,000 yen per batch, so Ryuji passed on them. This time, the yogurt was about 350 yen and the Choice biscuits about 200 yen, and Ryuji says even this makes a generous amount.

When leaving it overnight, Ryuji says loosely covering it with plastic wrap is best. Putting on a lid keeps the moisture from escaping. Since they want some of the moisture to evaporate, Ryuji personally thinks it's fine to skip the wrap entirely. This time, too, they put it in the refrigerator uncovered.

Made directly in a container, it ends up looking "slapdash," as Ryuji admits. However, they say the appearance is purely a matter of the container. Ryuji suggests that if you make it in cute plastic cups, then dust it with cocoa powder and add a spoon when giving it, it becomes a Valentine's treat.

Ryuji positioned this as the easiest of all their desserts. Anyone can make it, even together with small children. However, they also said that at the time of making it, they didn't know whether it would succeed. That it would taste good was strictly Ryuji's prediction.

The next day, it looked almost the same as the day before. However, the moisture had apparently disappeared completely. Once cocoa powder was sifted over the whole thing, it suddenly looked like tiramisu.

When a spoon went in, the inside had set firmly. Since it had been runny the day before, the staff were surprised too. The cross-section of the scooped portion was smooth and creamy, and the cast members all remarked that the yogurt part had exactly the texture of cream.

The cast members who tried it agreed in unison that it was "totally tiramisu." The coffee flavor came through clearly as well.

Giving their own assessment, Ryuji says that because the sweetness was kept modest, it's easy to eat even for people who don't love sweets. Since it uses yogurt rather than heavy cream, it has a slight tang in the aftertaste. Ryuji likes this as a cream cheese–like quality. Still, some people will probably want it sweeter, so they suggest adjusting the amount of sugar.

As for the Greek yogurt, Ryuji reaffirmed that it really is the right choice, because it has a creamy quality despite being yogurt. If you want it closer to store-bought tiramisu, you could replace half of it with heavy cream. But Ryuji thinks that isn't necessary, since it's plenty delicious as is. They also said they could eat an entire cup by themselves.

Ryuji's conclusion is that simply sticking coffee-dipped Choice biscuits into Greek yogurt makes a very delicious tiramisu. Ryuji gave it a "yes," and wrapped up the video by encouraging viewers to make it for Valentine's Day.