I haven’t had a lot of Tiramisu in my day, but I sure do enjoy it when the opportunity presents itself. In my mind, this dessert has always had a bit of attitude and I thought it was difficult to make, maybe that is because it is so delicious. Anyway, it’s not hard, in fact it is the perfect dessert for an impromptu dinner.
I made this Tiramisu for an Italian themed Christmas party. My friend Kristen, who hosted the party, comes from an Italian family and they are fantastic cooks. Therefore it was important that my dessert could stand up to the other homemade Italian dishes. Tiramisu was the obvious Italian dessert and it got the job done. This recipe calls for the traditional ingredients such as mascarpone, ladyfingers, espresso and rum, then I topped it with pieces of chopped chocolate instead of cocoa powder. I used my new shaker that the Officer gave me for Christmas to delicately sprinkle the tiramisu with chocolate. It was rich and smooth but light enough to end a filling Italian dinner. Paired with a cup of coffee, it was a delicious way to finish the meal. I received compliments throughout the rest of the evening. Kristen’s (Italian) mom was impressed too!
Tiramisu
- adapted from Giada De Laurentiis
makes 12 servings
-
Ingredients
- 6 egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1-1/2 pounds mascarpone cheese
- 1 cup brewed espresso, cooled
- 2 teaspoons dark rum
- 60 packaged ladyfingers
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate pieces
-
Directions
In a large bowl, using a mixer, combine the egg yolks and sugar until the yolks lighten, about 5 minutes. Then add the mascarpone cheese and beat until smooth, maybe a minute or two. Add 1 tablespoon of the espresso and mix until the espresso is blended well.
In a small bowl, combine the rest of the espresso and rum. The next step will require a 9 x 13 inch pan. Begin to dip the ladyfingers in the espresso and rum mixture, dipping each side for 1-2 seconds. The ladyfingers won’t seem tender immediately but will soak up the liquid within a few minutes. Place the ladyfingers in the 9 x 13 inch pan vertical with the pan, covering the bottom. Spread 1/2 of the cheese mixture over the ladyfingers. Then place another layer of ladyfingers over the cheese. Spread the remaining cheese mixture topping the ladyfingers.
Cover the tiramisu with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Chop or shave 1/2 cup of dark chocolate. I chopped mine in my Magic Bullet. Before serving, generously shake or sprinkle the chocolate on the top of the tiramisu. Serve chilled. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to three days.
6 Comments
Ooh, I think I could actually do this one. My mother’s favorite dessert is tiramisu, so it will be great to surprise her with this next time I come by. Thanks!
I haven’t had much tiramisu either, and when I have had it, it’s hit or miss. But, the good versions I have tasted have definitely been good! All of your recipes look wonderful. Maybe I’ll try to tackle this one day.
Oh yum! I love tiramisu. I have that same green dish cloth. I love it!
I’ve never had tiramisu before but have been looking for a good, easy recipe for it lately. I think I’ll go with this one, it looks great! One question though, any idea on what I could substitute the rum with? I’d prefer to not have any alcohol in it (even though it’s probably the traditional way to make it!?). Thanks if you can help!
Jamieanne, I think you could just use extra espresso. Most alcohol-free recipes don’t seem to add an additional ingredient, they just use more espresso. I hope it works!
this is one of my fave desserts and always try it everywhere but get disappointed many times… the photos are amazing as i believe food images are really hard to do… following you now on Twitter!!!