Tiramisu starts with ladyfingers soaked in espresso. The tender, coffee infused sponge cookies get layered with mascarpone cream. Each layer of sweet cream is topped with bitter cocoa. It is the simple combination of creamy mascarpone, strong espresso, and bitter chocolate that makes this dish so good. Tiramisu relies on a few quality ingredients that all come together to make a delicious dessert.
This tiramisu recipe comes from one of our mom’s dearest friends. She is of course Italian and also the queen of tiramisu. She makes the absolute best tiramisu that we have ever had. We have never even tried to make it another way because it is just that good.
There’s a saying in our family when it comes to getting an extra bite or two or dessert: “we are just going to even it out.” It somehow makes us believe the next couple bites we are taking aren’t seconds (or thirds) but are a supportive gesture to even out the edges remaining of the dessert. When it comes to “evening it out”, tiramisu is up there on the list of dishes that fall prey to this saying. We know as soon as this dish is served it won’t last long before little spoons make their way into the pan to “even it out” until no more espresso soaked ladyfingers or marscapone cream remain.
Tiramisu Notes:
- Mascarpone: Make sure to leave the mascarpone out an hour before making, it makes it easier to mix the filling
- Cocoa: Use a high quality unsweetened cocoa powder (our favorite is Valrhona) to add just the right amount of bitterness and flavor
- Ladyfingers: Ladyfingers are a sponge cookie found in most supermarkets that come either dried or fresh. We prefer the dried ones for this, but if using the fresh ones simply brush the ladyfingers with espresso instead of dunking them into the coffee
- Espresso: If you don’t have an espresso machine, a strong brewed coffee will also work. We prefer a dark coffee with chocolate notes to pair with the tiramisu as opposed to a light or medium roast
Tiramisu
Ingredients
- 4 eggs separated
- 4 tablespoons sugar 50 grams
- ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 500 grams mascarpone room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups black coffee espresso, cooled
- 3 tablespoons kahlua
- ~10 oz ladyfingers
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
Instructions
- Combine the coffee and kahlua and allow to cool before making the rest of the tiramisu
- Beat egg yolks with 4 tablespoons of sugar until very pale yellow
- Beat eggs whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks
- Beat the egg yolks with the room temperature marscapone
- Fold the egg whites with the egg yolk and marscapone mixture
- In a 9×9” pan put a thin layer of cream on the bottom
- Soak the ladyfingers in coffee and layer over the cream. Once an even layer is down, layer over half of the remaining cream
- Add another layer of soaked ladyfingers and repeat the process.
- Top with remaining cream and dust with cocoa. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours
