Tiramisu will forever have a soft spot in my heart, and it’s really easy. You just need some egg yolks, ladyfingers, mascarpone, and coffee.
After I’ve finished a hearty dinner of Meat Lasagna, I like to keep with the theme and make a traditional Italian dessert. Tiramisu is light and delicious, and you can serve it up with a tasty after-dinner espresso. If you like the idea of serving up a light cake, there are plenty more on my Dessert Recipe Page that you can make really quickly and easily.
TIRAMISU
I’ve tried a lot of Tiramisu through the years, but I have to say that the best Tiramisu I’ve had was the first time I went to Italy. We went to a dinner party in Venice, I tried tramezzini sandwiches, rich zabaglione, and savoiardi, or Italian lady fingers. Everything was so amazing, but the classic Tiramisu really stuck out, especially since I had it with the world’s best cup of espresso.
As soon as I got home from Italy, I started developing this easy Tiramisu recipe that you can make with just a simple baking dish and a mixing bowl. I’ve recreated that tasty authentic Tiramisu recipe with a few slight alterations for ease, and most of the ingredients you can find at any local grocery store, since I couldn’t find a lot of the specific items that I would have used in Italy. I recommend serving up slices of Tiramisu with a cup of strong coffee.
My recipe calls for a little dark rum, but you can use all sorts of different libations depending on your preference. You can use Marsala wine, Amaretto, or what you’ve got on hand as long as it compliments coffee. You also don’t need to make your Tiramisu boozy if you don’t want to, you can skip the liqueur and still get an amazing tasting Italian dessert.
HOW TO MAKE TIRAMISU
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VARIATIONS ON TIRAMISU
- Toppings: You can top your Tiramisu with all sorts of decorative toppings, from a fine dusting of espresso powder or unsweetened cocoa powder, to a dollop of Homemade Whipping Cream. I also like adding a handful of sliced nuts or some dried fruit depending on the occasion. You can also serve it with a side of Homemade Ice Cream or even a little custard. You can also top it with marscapone, an Italian version of whipped cream cheese.
TIRAMISU FAQS
- Why is it called Tiramisu? ‘Tira mi su’ translates to ‘pick me up.’ The idea was that it’s a little cake to give you energy.
- Does Tiramisu have alcohol in it? In some cases. Traditionally, Madeira wine or Marsala wine is used but all sorts of liqueurs have made their way into it, like Amaretto, Kahlua, or coffee liqueur.
- What does Tiramisu taste like? It should be little lighter than pudding coffee with cream coffee liquor with cream, with chocolate tastes like cafe mocha.
HOW LONG IS TIRAMISU GOOD?
- Serve: Don’t leave Tiramisu out for longer than 2 hours for best results.
- Store: You can keep Tiramisu in the fridge for up to 4 days if you keep it in plastic wrap or in an airtight container. Keeping moisture out of it is key, so make sure to secure it tightly.
- Freeze: You can freeze Tiramisu for up to 3 months if you keep it in plastic wrap.
Ingredients
- 6 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pound mascarpone cheese
- 1/4 cup strong brewed coffee , room temperature
- 2 tablespoons dark rum
- 6 ounces ladyfinger cookies (2 packages)
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until well blended.
- Whisk in milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils.
- Boil gently for 1 minute, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
- Cover tightly and chill in refrigerator 1 hour.
- In a medium bowl, beat cream with vanilla until stiff peaks form.
- Whisk mascarpone into yolk mixture until smooth.
- In a small bowl, combine coffee and rum.
- Split ladyfingers in half lengthwise and drizzle with coffee mixture.
- Arrange half of soaked ladyfingers in bottom of a 7x11 inch dish.
- Spread half of mascarpone mixture over ladyfingers, then half of whipped cream over that.
- Repeat layers and sprinkle with cocoa.
- Cover and refrigerate 4 to 6 hours, until set.
Nutrition
