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Author:
Franco Salzillo
If you like coffee, then you probably love tiramisu. The king of coffee-scented desserts is an Italian classic, but there’s more, its name means “pick me up,” for its caffeine and sugar, and it really packs a punch!
A restaurant staple, tiramisu, is also effortless to make at home. Actually, making tiramisu can be as easy or as hard as you want. There are some pretty complicated recipes out there, but why bother? Today I’ll show you how to make a gorgeous tiramisu in just 20 minutes (plus two hours of chilling in the fridge.)
We’re using eight ingredients for this one, but only four give the tiramisu its personality: mascarpone, coffee, Amaretto, and ladyfinger biscuits.
Mascarpone is an Italian cream cheese that gets its texture by adding something acidic like lemon juice to whole milk separating the curd from the whey. Mascarpone is creamy and fresh, and there’s no proper substitute for it.
Ladyfingers are unique, too, egg-based sponge biscuits, also known as sponge fingers, Savoiardi, in Italian, and Boudoir, in French. You can’t miss them, most supermarkets with a decent bakery department carry them, and you can get them online.
Coffee is essential because we’re dipping the biscuits in it. Coffee makes the tiramisu an exceptional dessert, so I recommend using good coffee, something that you would drink. Arabica medium-roast espresso is my favorite for tiramisu but find the style for you. Just avoid instant coffee, tiramisu deserves much better.
Last but not least, I want to talk to you about the almond and apricot liqueur flavored Amaretto. We’re only using a tablespoon for our tiramisu, but don’t overlook it, it makes all the difference.
Here’s a fun fact: Although Ladyfingers exist since the 15th century, the tiramisu wasn’t invented until the 1960s! The dessert feels and tastes as if it has been around forever, though, it’s a true classic.
Get ready because we’re making the easiest and fastest tiramisu ever (and it’s tasty too.) Serve this one with a round of cappuccinos and add to them a splash of that Amaretto liqueur, that’s a perfect pairing right there.
Beat the whipping cream and slowly add the sugar, vanilla and amaretto until soft peaks start to form.
Add in mascarpone cheese and until the peaks stiffen.
Dip your ladyfinger biscuits in the coffee and gently place them in an 8-inch square pan.
Once the first layer is complete spread half the whipped cream mixture and add a second layer of ladyfingers. Top with the cream mixture.
Refrigerate for 2 hours and dust with cocoa powder before serving.
