Easy Tiramisu

Time: Approximately 40 minutes from start to finish, and it should rest in the refrigerator at least a few hours before serving. It can also be made up to several days before serving. But good luck not getting into it if you try that!
Serves: 20-30

Inspired by: When I lived in Hong Kong, I discovered that it is a mecca for fabulous food of most ethnicities. After an incredible Italian meal and the best Tiramisu I’d ever had in my first month there, I found myself on a quest to find the perfect Tiramisu. It was fun seeing how many different styles and flavors there were! I must have had more than 20 different versions during my year there. After a few more yummy Tiramisu desserts in Italy over the past few years and surprisingly, my favorite little town in Mexico, Sayulita, I decided it was time to learn to make it. I hosted an Italian wine tasting recently and finally gave it a try. Yum! This recipe is a mix of various versions I found on the web. This one does not use any raw eggs.

Supplies:

• 9-inch-by-13-inch-by 2 inch dish or 15-inch-by-10-inch-by 2 inch dish (for Tiramisu)
• 5 x 9 x 2 in dish (optional – for a second Tiramisu if you have remaining ingredients)
• Small flat dish for dunking ladyfingers in coffee/liquor mixture
• Mixing bowl
• Mixer
• Very fine cheese grater (for the chocolate topping)

Ingredients:

• 16 oz mascarpone cheese
• 3 cups heavy cream (1.5 pints)
• 2 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
• 1 ½ Cointreau (or dark rum or the liquor of your choice)
• 1 ½ cups espresso or strong French pressed coffee
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 60 lady fingers cookies
• 4 oz dark chocolate (sweet, not the kind for baking) for grating over the top

Preparation:

• Make espresso or strong coffee.
• Mix espresso with the liquor in equal parts. It is easiest if you put this into a small flat dish so it’s easy to dip one side of the lady fingers cookies quickly and evenly, but any bowl can work.
• In a large mixing bowl combine mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, 4 tablespoons of the coffee/liquor mixture, and 1 tablespoon vanilla.
• Beat until creamy and smooth and can hold a shape (but not so thick where it becomes butter) – approximately 3-4 minutes.
• Quickly dip one flat side of lady fingers in the coffee/liquor mixture and layer them on the bottom of your pan (approximately 20-23 cookies for the 9-inch-by-13-inch dish) – they do not all have to lay the same direction or look pretty – just fully cover the bottom of the pan.
• IMPOTANT NOTE: if you like your tiramisu stronger (more coffee/liquor flavors) – dip both sides of cookies wet with your coffee/liquor mixture, but I prefer just dipping one side in quickly. I just made this tonight in celebration of my good friend Jeanette – I thought it would be a fun alternative to a birthday cake after our Italian-themed dinner. I thought it turned out too strong – much more so than the last time I made it –  and I’m sure it’s because I dunked the cookies rather than dipped one side quickly. Next time I’ll be sure the cookies stay crispy and just one side is dipped in very quickly.
• Spoon the cream mixture over the lady fingers and spread as if you were icing a cake – about ¼ inch thick (don’t use more than half of your mixture, but you’ll more likely use about a quarter or a third of it).
• Then dip and layer the rest of the ladyfingers on top of the cream.
• Top off with additional cream mixture and fully cover the top so it is smooth  – again, about ¼ inch thick.
• At this point, depending on what size pan you started with and how thick you layered the cream, you should have just enough ingredients left to make one more small Tiramisu in a 5.5 x 9 x 2 inch glass baking dish.
• With a very fine grater, grate the chocolate over the top.
• Let rest in refrigerator for a few hours before cutting – lasts for about one week in the refrigerator.

Wine Suggestions: I’m not a huge fan of wine with Tiramisu. I prefer it with an espresso (and in my case a decaf espresso or I’d be doing gymnastics all night!).