Simple Tiramisu

This dessert is easy to assemble from a mixture of whipped cream and Italian cream cheese layered with espresso dipped ladyfingers. The result is a lusciously smooth cake that feels like a mousse with substance. The flavor is much like that of a well crafted latte. Layers of vanilla cream sweeten the tang of soft cheese and the robust intensity of bitter espresso. Together they create a perfect afternoon pick me up or an elegant finish to a fine Italian dinner.

Making Dinner Something Special

Another year has come and gone. I don’t know what I expected, or what to expect even now. In many ways it still feels like the soundtrack of our life has been scratched. Though the record still turns, our needle is caught in a groove. 

Meanwhile, we do what we can to move forward. Rather than struggling to keep up with shifting demands and mandates we continue to spend more time at home. Along the way we are eating more occasion meals around the family table. That leaves us looking for little ways to make them special. 

Friday night is still Italian Night at our house. I like to keep the menu simple in an effort to avoid disappointment. But, then again, I want to dress things up a little in an effort to make sure the extra time at home is quality time. Usually we eat our Italian Night dinners in the dining room. We light the candles and the fireplace, set the table with cloth napkins and linger after dinner over coffee and dessert. It isn’t exactly like going out, but it has its own kind of charm.

Easy to Make Tiramisu

Sometimes a cookie with our coffee makes a nice little Italian Night dessert. A bite of something sweet plays against the bitter notes of a luxurious after dinner cappuccino. Other times, we serve a luscious scoop of gelato to complement the strong flavor of espresso in an Affogato. Recently, however, as we began yet another season of staying in, I wanted to update our repertoire with something new. That’s when Tiramisu came to mind. 

Tiramisu begins with the elements (cookies, coffee and cream) of our simple and familiar Italian Night desserts. Then, with a few simple steps, it transforms those basic elements into something refreshingly new: a lusciously smooth cake that feels like a mousse with substance and tastes like a well crafted latte. This simple make-ahead dessert is just the thing to give our Italian Night dinners a bit of a lift. In fact the literal translation of tira mi su is “pick me up.”

Looking at recipes for Tiramisu I was surprised by the insistence that it is a traditional Italian recipe. I’m not Italian but I’ve always liked Italian food and often eaten at Italian restaurants. Honestly, though, I can’t remember seeing Tiramisu on a menu, or even hearing of it, until a couple of decades ago. When I did, I was wary. By then modern warnings about the danger of raw eggs had made their impression. I was reluctant to serve a dessert made with uncooked eggs to my family or friends. 

This recipe works around that concern. Simple Tiramisu uses whipped cream instead of eggs to impart volume to the mascarpone layers. There are no eggs of any kind in this recipe. This version of Tiramisu is also quick and easy to put together. It is best made in advance, allowing the flavors to meld in the refrigerator overnight. On the whole that adds to its charm. It leaves me free to focus on the main elements of our dinner and still look forward to something special for dessert.

What Can Go Wrong?

This recipe for Tiramisu is simple but it’s not completely foolproof. Here are a few tips to help with any potential pitfalls you may encounter:

• Lumpy Mascarpone – The first time I tried this recipe I didn’t give the mascarpone enough time to reach room temperature. Then I added it to the whipped cream, scooping it directly from the container. The result was a whipped cream mixture with little lumps of mascarpone in it. To prevent this problem make sure to set the mascarpone out about 30 minutes before you begin mixing. Then stir or beat it until it is smooth and creamy before you add it to the whipped cream mixture.

• Espresso That’s Too Hot to Handle – After you set out the mascarpone cheese, go ahead and make the coffee or espresso. This will allow it to cool down to room temperature before you dip the ladyfingers. Working with cooled coffee will prevent burns and help control absorption.

• Soggy Ladyfingers – I love coffee! So, of course I want to maximize the espresso flavor in my Tiramisu. That said, it is still important to avoid soaking the ladyfingers in the espresso. Instead, quickly dip both sides of the ladyfingers in the liquid before laying them in the pan. This way you will retain the texture of the ladyfingers while providing a vehicle for the robust espresso flavor.

• Cocoa Powder Everywhere – Tiramisu can be a cocoa powder bomb. To avoid getting the cocoa powder everywhere, set the dish of Tiramisu on a piece of waxed paper, parchment or paper towel before dusting it with cocoa powder. Then carefully tap the strainer holding the cocoa powder to distribute it evenly across the top of the cream mixture. When the top is thoroughly covered with cocoa powder wipe down the sides and cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap before refrigerating.  At serving time, dust the top again, very lightly, avoiding the edges. This will contain the cocoa and cut down on the amount of loose cocoa powder on each slice that might end up somewhere other than in your mouth. 

• Thumbprints – I might have filled my Tiramisu dish a little too full. I definitely dragged my thumb through the cream as I was cleaning the dish and getting ready to put it in the fridge. No big problem. Just dust over the indentation with a little more cocoa powder and call it good!

Simple Tiramisu

Course: DessertCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

9

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Chilling time

3

hours 

Total time

3

hours 

20

minutes

This simple version of Tiramisu layers mascarpone flavored whipped cream with espresso dipped ladyfingers to create a robustly flavored Italian dessert.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (8 oz or 235g) whipping cream

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 8 ounces (226g) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

• 1 1/4 cups espresso or strong coffee

• 2 Tablespoons coffee flavored liqueur, if desired

• 1 (7 oz) package ladyfingers

• 1-2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

• Chocolate shavings (for top, if desired)

Directions

• In a medium mixing bowl, combine whipping cream, sugar and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
• In a small bowl, beat mascarpone cheese until creamy. Add mascarpone cheese to whipped cream mixture. Beat together, just until combined.
• Place espresso in a shallow bowl. (I use a square plastic storage container.) Add liqueur, if desired. Quickly dip both sides of ladyfingers in espresso and lay close together in the bottom of a baking dish or pan that is roughly 8 inches square. Cover the bottom of the pan with dipped lady fingers.
• Smooth half of the cream/mascarpone mixture over the lady fingers.
• Repeat by adding another layer of dipped ladyfingers and smoothing the remainder of the cream/mascarpone mixture on top.
• Dust the top generously with cocoa powder sifted through a mesh strainer. Add chocolate shavings on top, if desired.
• Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
• Slice and serve.

Notes

• Recipe Source: Adapted from a recipe found at Delish and attributed to a 2005 post at Cooking for Engineers.
• 2 Tablespoons of liqueur can be added to the espresso before dipping, if desired.  Choose the coffee flavored liqueur listed or use amaretto, brandy or Marsala wine instead.
• To freeze:  Skip the cocoa powder on top. Cover the second layer of ladyfingers with the mascarpone whipped cream mixture. Then cover tightly and freeze. On the day you plan to serve it, remove the Tiramisu from the freezer early. After several hours dust the top with cocoa powder. Cover it again and refrigerate until ready to serve.    
• Double this recipe to make Tiramisu for a 9 x 13-inch pan.