Tiramisu is my favorite non-Greek dessert! If I had to choose one “foreign” dessert, just one, I would pick tiramisu without a second thought.
Strong espresso, sweet wine, airy cream, and cocoa create an irresistible combination.
There are many recipes for tiramisu. With eggs, without eggs, with heavy cream or without, with mascarpone or ricotta, with cocoa or grated chocolate.
Because of my love for this dessert, the truth is that I have tried almost all the recipes that exist.
The one I’m sharing today has become my favorite and is the closest to the authentic Italian recipe.
The Best in Rome
By the way, the best tiramisu I have ever eaten was at a famous pastry shop in Rome called Pompi, which specializes in tiramisu. It has stayed unforgettable to me.
The recipe I’m sharing today includes, in the cream, not only egg yolks but also whipped cream and meringue. For many years when I made tiramisu I discarded the egg whites and used only the yolks, adding whipped cream to the mixture.
Recently, I have decided that adding both—meringue and whipped cream—creates a cream that is very fluffy but at the same time cohesive and stable in texture.
For the ladyfingers, I make strong espressos and usually enrich them with a mix of homemade bitter almond liqueur and coffee liqueur, or bitter almond liqueur with cognac.
In the cream I use a small amount of sugar because the sweet wine we add provides enough sweetness on its own.
Ingredients for Tiramisu
- 400 g ladyfingers
- 160 ml espresso coffee (about 4 double espressos) or the same amount of strong filter coffee (for the ladyfingers)
- 500 g mascarpone
- 4 very fresh eggs
- 50 ml Marsala or sweet wine from Lemnos or Samos (for the cream)
- 60 ml coffee liqueur or cognac or bitter almond liqueur or a mixture of these (for the ladyfingers)
- I usually use a mixture of two
- 2–3 tablespoons cocoa powder for dusting
- 100 g sugar
- 200 g heavy cream, full-fat and very cold
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Instructions
The Firm Meringue
In two bowls separate the egg yolks from the egg whites.
In the bowl with the egg whites add 5–6 drops of fresh lemon juice.
This helps pasteurize the egg whites.
Using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites until they form a firm meringue.
Keep the meringue in the refrigerator until you need it.
In another bowl beat the heavy cream with the hand mixer until it becomes firm whipped cream. Place it in the refrigerator as well.
Pasteurizing the Yolks for the Cream
Now we will prepare the egg yolk cream, which requires pasteurization for safety.
This will be done using the bain-marie method. In a small saucepan add some water and place the bowl with the yolks on top. Turn on the heat and let the water warm well; it should simmer but the water must not touch the bowl. Add the sugar and the sweet wine to the yolks. Using a whisk, start stirring the mixture. It will gradually begin to warm up.
If you have a thermometer for liquids, use it. The temperature should reach 70°C but not exceed it, because above that the eggs may curdle more than necessary.
If you don’t have a thermometer, you can rely on observation: watch for when the egg mixture warms well and begins to thicken slightly. You will notice the texture changing. The mixture will become lightly creamy, smooth, and slightly fluid.
When the egg cream is ready, remove the bowl immediately from the heat and set it aside.
In a large bowl place the mascarpone cheese and beat it with the hand mixer for 1 minute until fluffy.
Then add the egg mixture and beat again for 1–2 minutes.
Set the mixer aside and using a spatula or large spoon gently fold in the meringue and the whipped cream.
Place the cream in the refrigerator.
Assembly
In a deep wide plate pour the coffee and the liqueur.
Keep the dish in which you will assemble the tiramisu nearby.
Dip the ladyfingers briefly in the coffee and liqueur for about 2 seconds, no longer.
Arrange the soaked ladyfingers to cover the bottom of the dish.
Spread half of the cream and smooth it with a spatula. Repeat with the remaining ladyfingers and cover with the remaining cream.
Cover the dessert with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.
Before serving, dust the dessert with cocoa powder.
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