Thursday, December 16, 2010

Easy Creamy Tiramisu


There has been a lot of desserts on this blog lately! There's something about the holidays that make you want that touch of sweetness in the kitchen, isn't there? Tiramisu was one of the first desserts I learned how to make as a teenager, and it's a recipe I always turn to when I'm looking for something familiar, traditional and comforting. To me, tiramisu is much like risotto in that it looks so much more evolved and complicated to make than it is. I love the mix of creamy mascarpone, coffee and chocolate in this dessert and although it's a year-long delight, it really works well at this time of year.

So here it is, my easy, fail-safe tiramisu. I hope you will cherish this recipe as much as I do. I have made little tweaks and changes over the years and this is now my ultimate tiramisu. I'm sure Tyler Florence would agree!

Easy Creamy Tiramisu

Serves 6-8

2 containers of Mascarpone
6 eggs
1 cup of sugar
1/2 vanilla bean seeds or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons of rum
1 big pot of strong espresso coffee (the coffee should be stronger than the one you would drink)
1 box of ladyfingers
A couple squares of good quality bittersweet chocolate

Place the coffee in a bowl at room temperature to allow it to cool down while you prepare the rest of the dessert. Mix the egg yolks and sugar in a small bowl until the mixture becomes pale and fluffy (3-4 minutes). Set aside.
Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt (using an electric mixer) until stiff peaks form. Set aside. In a big bowl, add the mascarpone. If the mascarpone seems a little stiff, beat for 1-2 minutes to lighten it and make it easy to work with. Gently fold in the whites making sure that the mixture stays airy. When smooth, add the sugar and yolk mixture. Add the vanilla and stir.
Take your serving bowls and line them up on your working surface. Dip each ladyfinger into the coffee making sure each side gets properly dipped. The ladyfingers should just hold together. Arrange 2 ladyfingers at the bottom of the bowls (you may have to cut them in half beforehand depending on the size of your serving bowls). Add 2-3 ladles of the mascarpone mixture into each bowl. Top with another 2 coffee-dipped ladyfingers and top with another couple ladles of mascarpone mixture. Place in the fridge to set for 4 hours or overnight. Right before serving, grate the chocolate over the tiramisu. Enjoy!

18 comments:

Unknown said...

This is fab and I just happened to have picked up so mascarpone!

Caroline said...

Dangerous, dangerous. All the flavors and delight out of tiramisu and none of the mess or hassle. I see lots of elastic waistbands in my future...

Anonymous said...

Mascarpone.. just give me a shovel and let me dig in! Isn't it super... the smell of sweets in the kitchen?

Like pancakes.. I could have Tiramisu for dinner...

gfs said...

lovely! now to find glutenfree ladyfingers....

The Church Cook said...

Easy and Tiramisu are good for me! You are making me hungry....again....thanks a lot. :)

Trissa said...

I was planning to make your buche de Noel this weekend but now I'm being tempted by your tiramisu!! Decisions decisions!!

L'étudiante said...

yumm yumm !!

Deana Sidney said...

How I love tiramisu, I haven't made it in ever so long.. you have inspired me to pick up some marscarpone!

Citron said...

I love this simmered down version of this great classic! Will give this a try for sure. Thanks.

A Canadian Foodie said...

It IS easy. I make it often and my husband is ga-ga over it. I love that whenever I serve it everyone is in ecstasy, yet it is so easy to make!
:)
Valerie

Jean said...

I don't mind the desserts at all! It's all that I've been wanting to make, too. I've never actually made tiramisu at home (shame, I know), something I must correct soon. If you say it's foolproof then it's the recipe for me. Thanks!

Chocolate Freckles said...

I love tiramisu!!! and this recipe looks like it's pretty easy to make!

Anonymous said...

This looks lovely! I love creamy versions of my fav desserts :)

culturafemenina said...

OMG..Tiramisu is my favorite dessert ever...but no idea how to make one...I will try this for sure. I will send you a picture of my attempt :). Lovely blog. Merry Christmas!

Cakebrain said...

oh yah. I love tiramisu. This looks so yummy!

aionaccount said...

Very comforting dish for me. Your version is much easier than the other recipes i tried for tiramisu though the basic is still there. Glad to try out this one. Thanks for the share.

LimeCake said...

I adore Tiramisu. It's so simple but is a showstopper dessert. This looks fantastic!

Justin said...

ooh, this is perfect for me because i think tiramisu is totally not worth the effort, but i do love the flavors

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