Italian Tiramisu Recipe

An Italian dessert made of savoiardi ladyfingers soaked in coffee, arranged in layers and filled with a cream made with mascarpone and eggs.

Tiramisu is one of the most famous Italian dessert in the world, born in Treviso (a lovely town near Venice), delicious and easy to make.

Tiramisu Ingredients

·       300 g (about 30) Savoiardi Ladyfingers.

·       500 g (1,1 lb = 2 1/4 cups) of mascarpone cheese.

·       4 medium eggs (about 220 g/7,7 oz without shells)

·       100 g (1/2 cup) of granulated sugar

·       300 ml (1 ¼ cup) of coffee (better if espresso)

·       2 tablespoons of Rum or Marsala

·       unsweetened cocoa powder

Method

·       First of all, make the coffee. For a quick and delicious Italian coffee, we used an Espresso Machine. Then add 2 tablespoons of Rum or Marsala wine.

This is optional. If you don’t like liqueurs or you are making Tiramisu for children, don’t use it. Your tiramisu is great all the same, even without liqueur. Set aside and let cool.

·       Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Set aside the yolks and whip the egg whites until stiff: you will get at it when the egg whites will not move if you turn the bowl over.

Remember that to whip egg whites to stiff peaks, there should be no trace of yolk. Once ready, set aside.

·       Now, in a bowl, beat the egg yolks with sugar until light and smooth, 3 to 5 minutes.

·       In the meantime, pour the mascarpone cheese into a bowl and work it with a spoon to make it softer. Mascarpone cheese must be of excellent quality, creamy and thick. When the yolks are ready add the mascarpone cheese.

·       Using the paddle beater, slowly whip the mascarpone cream for 2 to 3 minutes. Now add the stiffly beaten egg whites.

·       Mix with a spatula, from bottom up. Mix slowly until smooth and creamy.

·       Now let’s prepare the layers of ladyfingers and mascarpone cream. You can make 2 or more layers, depending on the width and depth of your pan.

Dip the ladyfingers quickly (1 or 2 seconds) into the coffee. Then arrange the ladyfingers in the casserole of your liking.

IMPORTANT. The ladyfingers should not soak too much coffee, otherwise the tiramisu will be too rich in coffee and runny.

·       Arrange them so that they cover the bottom of the casserole. Then spread the mascarpone cream over the ladyfingers.

·       Add another layer of ladyfingers and then top with more mascarpone cream. If you are making the last layer, spread the mascarpone cream generously.

·       Finally, sprinkle with cocoa powder. You can even add dark chocolate chips, if you like.

Allow to rest 3 hours in the refrigerator before serving. Even better if you prepare the tiramisu the day before, letting it rest overnight.