Traditional Tiramisu

Tiramisu. Have you had it before? The soft, sweet yet not too sweet, coffee-y, melt in your mouth Italian dessert? The flavor is unique, and I’ve never heard of anyone not liking it.

I don’t think I ever tried Tiramisu until college. We don’t often go out to eat, and even less often order dessert. But when we do, the BF will always always ALWAYS get Tiramisu. We even have to go out of our way to get ice cream at this little candy store in the summer because they have Tiramisu gelato (let’s not talk about the time we went and they no longer had any…).

Every time I ask him what I should bake, I bet you can guess his answer. Tiramisu. Yikes. I mean, it’s just his favorite dessert. That I’m pretty sure takes forever to make and is super complicated. No pressure. There’s a reason it’s taken me years and years to attempt this.

But friends, I’m here to tell you, Tiramisu is really not that difficult to make! The hardest part was probably finding the lady fingers, an italian cookie that gets soaked in an espresso/alcohol mixture (I found them at Whole Foods, by the way). Yes, you have to let ingredients cool along the way, so the start to finish time is a bit long, but you just have to be patient. Plus that always gives me time to clean my kitchen while I’m standing around waiting for things to chill.

I followed The Pioneer Woman‘s recipe for Tiramisu, and I highly recommend it for visual learners. She has step by step pictures throughout the recipe, which can be very helpful. I really hope you will give this a try! It seems to me that most intimidating recipes I attempt really aren’t as bad as they seem. Plus this one has marscapone cheese, espresso, and alcohol…pretty sure it’s going to taste delicious no matter what!

~Stephanie

Tiramisu (recipe from The Pioneer Woman)

• 5 egg yolks
• 1/4 c + 4 tbsp sugar
• 2/3 c brandy
• 1 c heavy whipping cream
• 1 lb Mascarpone cheese, room temperature
• 1-1/2 c brewed espresso (I used instant)
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 2 7oz packages Ladyfingers
• Cocoa powder

1. Make your own double boiler (or use one if you have your own!) by simmering water in a saucepan, then placing a glass mixing bowl carefully over the top of the pan. There should be a snug fit, but the bowl should not sink down and touch the water.
2. Beat the egg yolks and 1/4c of the sugar in the mixing bowl before placing on the stove. Beat until yolks turn pale yellow, about 3 minutes.
3. Now place the mixing bowl carefully on the saucepan and stir in 1/3c of the brandy. Using a rubber spatula, scrape sides of the bowl occasionally and cook until mixture is thick and custard-like.
4. Cover and refrigerate until cool, at least 45 minutes.
5. Once the egg mixture is cool, stir the mascarpone cheese in a separate small bowl until smooth. In mixing bowl, beat whipping cream and 4 tbsp sugar until soft peaks form. To this, add the mascarpone cheese and the chilled egg mixture. Fold together by hand.
6. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
7. In a 9×13 pan, arrange a single layer of ladyfingers. Combine espresso, 1/3c brandy and vanilla, then spoon a small amount over each ladyfinger. You don’t want to soak them or they will turn mushy, but you don’t want many “crispy” edges to them either (about 1 tbsp or slightly less per cookie).
8. Spread an even layer (about 1/3 of your bowl) of the chilled mascarpone cheese mixture over the top and sprinkle with cocoa powder. Repeat this process 2 more times, for a total of 3 layers.
9. Cover and refrigerate another 1-2 hours. Cut into squares and serve chilled within 48-72 hours.