Layers of coffee and liqueur-soaked ladyfingers mingle with layers of vanilla whipped cream and a custard made of eggs, milk, and mascarpone cheese. Top it all off with a sprinkle of cocoa powder and chocolate curls, and you have the dreamiest dessert under the heavens. But don’t let it intimidate you, this easy recipe for Tiramisu can be made in no time.
INGREDIENTS
- 6 large egg yolks
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2/3 cup whole milk
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 (8 ounce) containers of mascarpone cheese, softened
- 2/3 cup strong coffee, room tempurature
- 4 Tablespoons rum, I used dark
- 2 (3 ounce) packages lady fingers
- 1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting
- For serving: chocolate curls or chocolate syrup, optional
INSTRUCTIONS
- Whisk sugar and egg yolks together in a medium saucepan until incorporated. Whisk in milk. Place on the stovetop over medium heat, and bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly. Boil for one minute, continuing to stir. Remove from the heat, cool for 10 minutes. The custard will be thick and will coat the back of a spoon.
- While the mixture cools, whip your cream and vanilla together until stiff peaks form.
- Place the whipped cream and the custard in the refrigerator. Cover the custard with plastic wrap, letting the wrap rest on top of the custard. Chill in the fridge for at least one hour. Longer if it’s not cold yet.
- Mix coffee and rum together. Set aside.
- After the custard is cooled, whisk in mascarpone cheese just until it’s smooth. Set aside. *mixture should NOT be runny.
- Fill the bottom of either an 8×8 or a 9×9 baking dish with a single layer of the ladyfingers.
- Drizzle them with 1/2 of the coffee/rum mixture. Give your dish a swirl to ensure that the ladyfingers are evenly coated but not soggy.
- In a separate shallow dish, repeat the same method with the ladyfingers and coffee/rum mixture to soak the other half of the ladyfingers.
- To assemble the tiramisu, using an offset spatula, layer half of the custard mixture over the ladyfingers in the baking dish, making sure the custard gets in between the ladyfingers. Next, spread half of the whipped cream over the top of the custard. Then, carefully top with the other half of the ladyfingers. Finish with another layer of custard and finally the remaining whipped cream.