This classic Tiramisu is made authentically in the Italian way, with espresso soaked ladyfingers layered with a light and airy mascarpone cream, and dusted with cocoa powder to finish. This is a great make ahead dessert and perfect for entertaining!
Ingredients
3egg whites*
6egg yolks*
3+3 tbsp sugar
8ozmascarpone cheeseat room temperature
1cupfreshly pulled espressocooled to room temperature
2tbspamaretto or spiced rum
3-4dozen ladyfingersstorebought or homemade**
cocoa powderfor dusting
Instructions
In a clean bowl, whip the egg whites and 3 tbsp of sugar together with a hand mixer, for about 3-5 minutes until the egg whites hold stiff peaks.
In a separate bowl, whip the egg yolks with the remaining 3 tbsp sugar for 2-3 minutes until the egg yolks are thick and pale yellow in color.
Add the mascarpone to the egg yolks and whip until combined.
Gently fold the stiff egg whites into the egg yolk mixture and set aside.
In a small flat dish or bowl, combine the espresso and amaretto.
Dunk each ladyfinger fully into the espresso mixture for 1-2 seconds and place into the bottom of a 8x8 dish, or into individual ramekins. Don’t let the ladyfinger soak so much that it falls apart, just a quick dunk to let it absorb a little bit of espresso.
Once the ladyfingers have formed a single layer in the bottom of the dish, spread 1/2 of the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers.
Arrange another layer of espresso soaked ladyfingers on top, and spread over the remaining mascarpone cream.
Cover the top of the dish with plastic wrap and let the tiramisu refrigerate for 4-6 hours.
Serve cold, with a light dusting of cocoa on top. Enjoy!
Notes
*Use the freshest eggs possible, and make sure that the egg whites do not have any broken egg yolk whatsoever in them, otherwise they won't whip properly. It may be safest to separate the eggs one at a time in a separate bowl, so that if a yolk breaks, you don't ruin the whole batch. This recipe contains raw eggs, consume at your own risk. You can use pasteurized eggs if there's concern.**You want two layers of ladyfingers total, so it's whatever amount fits in a 8x8 dish. Some brands of ladyfingers are twice the size of others, so 3-4 dozen would be the smaller ones. Use the savoiardi style dry and crunchy ladyfingers, not the soft cake variety.Leftovers: I recommend not keeping this in the fridge for more than 2 days, as the egg whites start to deflate.Freezing: Unfortunately I don't recommend freezing. It will be so inferior compared to enjoying it fresh.Making ahead: Once you assemble the tiramisu, it needs 4-6 hours to properly chill, so it already has to be made somewhat ahead. I recommend making it no more than 1 day in advance.