Tiramisù

Tiramisù

Tiramisù is an Italian classic and I always order it if it’s on the menu; in fact, I get quite upset when I find it’s not on the menu. Tiramisù can be translated to ‘pick-me-up’ and includes both coffee and booze, making it a perfect dessert and also entirely suitable for breakfast. I make my tiramisù with Marsala, but you can use dark rum or brandy if you have that to hand. It’s a great dessert to make ahead of time, and tastes even better the day after it’s made.

Serves 6

Ingredients

3 large eggs, separated
100g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
500g mascarpone
250ml (1 cup) strong black espresso coffee
80ml (1/3 cup) Marsala
24 Savoiardi/ladyfinger biscuits
Cocoa powder or grated dark chocolate

Method

1. Place the egg yolks and caster sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric beater until pale and thick. Add the mascarpone and beat until fully incorporated.

2. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks are formed. Gently fold the egg whites into the mascarpone mixture, making sure to keep the air in the mixture.

3. Mix the coffee and Marsala together in a bowl.

4. To assemble, dunk the Savoiardi one at a time into the coffee mixture and arrange them on the base of a serving dish. Dunk the biscuits very briefly, for only a couple of seconds, otherwise the tiramisù will be too soggy.

5. Top the biscuits with half of the mascarpone mixture and spread out evenly. Top the cream with sifted cocoa powder or grated dark chocolate. Repeat with the remaining biscuits and mascarpone mixture, finishing with a generous amount of sifted cocoa or grated chocolate.

6. Place in the fridge for at least two hours, or overnight.