Indulge in the irresistible decadence of the timeless classic- tiramisu! Each spoonful of this beloved Italian delicacy is the perfect balance of bitterness and smooth, velvety sweetness. This recipe might work out to be a little heavy on the pockets, but if you’re willing to splurge a little, it is worth every penny!
Traditionally, tiramisu is made with Marsala wine and dark rum, but I had neither, so my recipe is alcohol-free! If you have any of these, or even a liqueur like Kahlua handy, you can go ahead and add about 1/4th cup to the coffee mixture and experiment.
I used Vicenzovo’s Ladyfingers, as they were readily available at my local wholesale baker’s shop. If you can’t find these at your store, you can bake them at home as well, which doubles as a cost-saving method too. Preppy Kitchen has a clear-cut recipe that you could try out. Be warned: it is rather time-consuming.
Ingredients:
For the coffee mixture:
1 cup espresso (1 cup water + 3 tbsp espresso)
2 tsp vanilla extract
For the mascarpone filling:
230g mascarpone (at room temperature)
3 large egg whites
75g granulated sugar
230ml whipping cream
2 ½ tsp vanilla essence
For the assembly:
20 lady fingers
15g cocoa powder (approx)
Method:
Boil 1 cup of water and remove it from the heat.
Add the espresso powder as well as the vanilla into the water and set this aside to cool.
In a separate large bowl, add the mascarpone, then pour in the vanilla and whisk until well combined and slightly fluffy. Set this aside.
Add the egg yolks and sugar to a separate medium bowl, whisk briskly to break up the yolks and then set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the water does not touch the bowl.
Whisk the mixture over medium low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Take your time with the egg yolks. They are the foundation of the dessert and need to be thick and creamy before you remove them from heat.
It takes around 5-7 minutes for the sugar to fully dissolve. During this time, it is vital to constantly stir the mixture with a whisk. Vigorous whisking is not required, but moving the mixture around allows even distribution of heat, which ensures that the eggs do not curdle.
NOTE- It is okay if some of the mixture sticks to the side of the bowl and dries up. However, ensure your heat is low and your entire mixture does not solidify.
Once the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has thickened and turned a light yellow colour, you can remove the bowl off the heat.
Pour the egg yolk mixture into the mascarpone mixture and whisk until well combined. Place this in the refrigerator until needed.
Add whipping cream to another large bowl and whisk on high speed until stiff peaks have formed.
Remove the egg yolk and mascarpone mixture from the fridge and fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture using a spatula.
Assembly:
Dip the top and bottom of your lady fingers briefly in the coffee mixture. Do not submerge them or let them soak for more than 4 seconds, as they will become soggy and crumble when you serve the tiramisu.
Arrange the lady fingers in a 7x7 glass dish as you go, such that there are no gaps.
After the bottom layer of dipped lady fingers is arranged in the dish, spread half of the mascarpone mixture on top and smooth it out using an offset spatula.
Dip the remaining ladyfingers in the coffee and arrange them on top of the mascarpone filling.
Once the dish is fully covered, add the remaining mascarpone mixture and smooth it out in the same manner.
Cover the dish with cling wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Before serving, add a generous dusting of cocoa powder over the tiramisu and then serve cold.
This stays fresh for up to 3 days in the fridge.
You can store it in the same dish, as long as you make sure that the cling wrap is wrapped tightly around the dish each time you remove it to serve.