Traditional Tiramisu

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Valentine’s Day is almost upon us and for those looking for an authentic, elegant dessert, you might want to give this one a try. Last year I developed an interest in tiramisu and started trying it out at restaurants. The best are light and fluffy, with spongy lady fingers, a hint but not an overwhelming touch of liquor, and extremely silky, light cream. There are so many different components to the tiramisu flavor profile I thought surely it would be difficult to make. Not so! It is actually pretty simple. Authentic tiramisu does have raw eggs, though, which I consume readily in mom’s eggnog – doesn’t bother me. But many Americans make tiramisu with whipped cream or other substitutes. This recipe uses the egg. Just rinse the outsides well in steaming hot water and there shouldn’t be an issue. Also, the fresher the eggs, the better. You can make this in virtually any container. The recipe is intended for one large tiramisu but I made mine in several tiny glass Tupperware containers for easy storage and gifting.

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what you need

2 cups Mascarpone

24-36 lady finger biscuits (I chose to buy mine at Whole Foods instead of make from scratch)

1 cup strong brewed coffee or espresso

1/3 cup Cognac or liquor of choice

3 egg yolks

3 eggs whites

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

Cocoa powder for dusting

how to make it

Note: You’re going to want to make your tiramisu one day before you need it and let it sit in the fridge overnight

Combine coffee (room temperature) and Cognac in a bowl and set aside. You are welcome to sprinkle in some cinnamon if desired.

Separate the egg whites and egg yolks into two separate mixing bowls. Add 3 tablespoons of sugar to each and beat with a hand mixer on high. The egg yolks should become lighter yellow and shiny. The egg whites should froth up, then become shiny, and finally form stiff peaks.

Add the Mascarpone to the egg yolks and beat until thoroughly combined. Then, using a spatula, fold the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture until a silky cream forms.

Retrieve your tiramisu vessel. You’re going to want to dip each lady finger, one at a time, one side at a time, in the coffee mixture. You should not spend more than 1-2 seconds on each side. Then place the lady fingers along the bottom of the container.

Layer with some of the cream until all the lady fingers are covered. Then dip and add another layer of lady fingers. You can do this as many times as desired depending on how tall you want your tiramisu to be. I usually end up with lady fingers – cream – lady fingers – cream, and that’s it.

To complete, dust with cocoa powder and situated in the fridge for at least 12 hours. Tiramisu gets better the longer it sits, so leave it alone until you’re ready for it.

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