Tiramisu and gelato are probably the desserts that come to mind most often when thinking of Italian desserts. Gelato is classic. There’s a fabulous gelato shop on nearly every street in Italy. And Tiramisu will be listed on every Italian restaurant dessert menu. This classic dessert has layers of espresso-soaked ladyfingers with sweet mascarpone cream and a dusting of chocolate. It’s wonderful to have as a sweet bite after eating lasagna or spaghetti and meatballs. Tiramisu is a favorite!
Ingredients needed:
For the cream mixture:
egg yolks sugar sweet marsala mascarpone cheese heavy whipping cream
For the espresso mixture:
brewed espresso (or strong coffee) Kahlua sweet marsala vanilla extract
More:
ladyfingers cocoa powder shaved chocolate
How to make Tiramisu:
The cream is made by whisking egg yolks, sugar and Marsala in a bowl set over simmering water (or in a double boiler) until the mixture thickens, doubles in volume and reaches 160 degrees F. At this point, stir in the mascarpone cheese. Whip cream separately to soft peaks, and then fold the cream into the mascarpone mixture. That’s the cream you’ll need for the Tiramisu. The espresso mixture is made by combining brewed espresso (or strong coffee) with Kahlua, Marsala, grated chocolate and vanilla. That mixture needs some time to cool down. To assemble, dip the ladyfingers quickly into the espresso mixture and then lay them in a 9×13-inch dish. Cover them with half of the cream. Add another layer of dipped ladyfingers, and then top those with the rest of the cream.
Finally, finish off the top of your Tiramisu with a dusting of cocoa powder and shaved chocolate.
How to make Chocolate Shavings:
Use a vegetable peeler or knife to shave flat, thin shavings from a room-temperature block of chocolate. If you want more “curls” than shavings, microwave the block of chocolate briefly to soften it up before peeling.
Cut it into squares to serve. This recipe makes about 12 servings. Don’t worry about having leftovers because this Tiramisu is excellent when eaten the day after preparing it.
Can you make Tiramisu alcohol free?
Yes. Leave out the sweet Marsala wine completely. Leave out the Kahlua. The Tiramisu will just be coffee and chocolate flavored and won’t have the alcohol flavors added in.
Those layers are amazing!
And every bite is droolworthy and delicious. Enjoy!
