Tiramisu

Maybe it's the Italian in my blood, or maybe it's just my love of creamy things and coffee and chocolate. But no matter the reason, tiramisu is my favorite dessert EVER. And that's saying something, folks, because there are a lot of delicious desserts out there that I and my sweet tooth dearly love.

But tiramisu beats them all.

If you've never heard of it, tiramisu is an Italian dessert made with coffee-soaked ladyfingers, mascarpone cheese, whipped cream, and dusted with cocoa powder. In other words, heaven on a plate. The word literally means "pick-me-up" or, metaphorically speaking, "make me happy."

Original recipes call for mixing the mascarpone with eggs to make a custard-like filling, and spiking it with Marsala wine, which undoubtedly is the best way to do it. Hey, I'm not going to argue with a famous dessert recipe. However, some people in my family (who will remain unnamed because I'm nice like that) kind of freak out where raw eggs are concerned, so I created a variation that is egg-free. I also lighten up the mascarpone with part-skim ricotta, and substitute Kahlua for the Marsala. It's not exactly traditional, but I promise you it is absolutely delicious and very similar to the original.

Well, what are you waiting for? Tie on an apron...

Yes, I have this apron. Be jealous. (Find it here)

...and let's get started!

The first thing you'll need is cheese. Strange, I know, cheese in a dessert? But it's really not that different from, say, cheesecake. Mascarpone is basically Italian cream cheese, and ricotta is similar but lighter. I use an 8-oz container of mascarpone and a 15-oz container of part-skim ricotta. Full-fat ricotta would work really well also, but I wouldn't go for the super low-fat stuff because of texture.

Put the cheeses into a mixing bowl and cream them together, either by hand or with a mixer. I find that a mixer works best because it removes all potential lumps and makes the mixture super creamy.

Add a quarter cup of half-and-half. I thought everyone knew what this was, but apparently not, because the other day, my dad asked for some at a coffee shop and the barista said, "half of what?"

True story.

Half-and-half is a mixture of half milk, half cream. Seems obvious, right? You can buy it in pretty much any grocery store.

A third of a cup of sugar...

...and a teaspoon of vanilla. Mix it all together. It should be nice and smooth, although this depends on the ricotta - full fat will be smoother, part-skim will be a bit grainier. It won't make a difference in the finished product.

Cover this and stick it in the fridge while we work on the other layers.

In another bowl, pour a cup of heavy whipping cream, and add a tablespoon of powdered sugar. See how fancy this recipe is? Two kinds of cream, two kinds of sugar... crazy, I know.

 

More vanilla! Just a half teaspoon this time.

Now beat that cream until it's nice and stiff.

That sounds a little violent, doesn't it? You can't be a pacifist if you like to cook, apparently.

Put your bowl of poor, abused whipped cream into the fridge to chill with the cheese mixture while you prepare the final (and most exciting) layer - the savoiardi.

Isn't that a great word? Savoiardi? It's the Italian word for ladyfingers, but "savoiardi" just sounds so much more elegant. You will need a package, give or take a few cookies. I've made them myself, and they did come out deliciously, but it's overkill for this recipe because it takes so long, and they taste pretty much the same as the storebought version when soaked in coffee and topped with cream.

Sometimes savoiardi can be hard to find, but I can reliably get them at my local natural foods store, and sometimes good old Kroger has them too.

We are going to prepare a boozy coffee soaking mixture for the savoiardi. It's pretty much the best thing ever.

Prepare 2 cups of very strong coffee. No weak coffee for this recipe! I'm talking espresso or nearly that strong. Then pour in a quarter cup of Kahlua. Resist the urge to drink it all before you use it.

 

Place your savoiardi in a single layer in an ungreased 13x9 baking dish. You might have to get creative to make them fit correctly. Savoiardi tetris!

 This is my favorite part: soaking the savoiardi. I don't know why I find it so fun. 

You want to put about a tablespoon of coffee/Kahlua mixture onto each cookie, but pour slowly so that it has time to soak in. The savoiardi are very porous, so they quickly drink up all that delicious spiked coffee and start to soften. 

Make sure you don't leave any dry spots!

Time to layer! Carefully spread the ricotta/mascarpone mixture over the savoiardi. Try to get it even and smooth, not just for appearances, but so that every bite has the same amount of creamy goodness.

Repeat with the whipped cream. 

Finally, place about a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder in a small sifter or sieve. Tap the sieve gently with a finger or spoon so that a dusting of cocoa comes down. Dust the whole thing as evenly as possible. It takes some practice! Don't skimp, though, because this thin layer of cocoa really makes the dessert.

Doesn't it look amazing? I'm always tempted to dig into it right away. 

But DON'T DO IT.

As hard as it may be to wait, tiramisu really needs at least 4 hours, preferably more, to rest in the fridge. Some magic voodoo happens in those crucial hours that makes everything meld together into so much more than the sum of its parts.

Holy moly. That's a beautiful, beautiful thing.

I can now die happy.

Tiramisu

Cheese Layer

8 oz mascarpone

15 oz ricotta

1/4 c. half-and-half

1/3 c. granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Whipped Cream Layer

1 c. heavy whipping cream

1 T. powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Savoiardi Layer

1 package (about 20 cookies) Italian savoiardi (ladyfingers)

2 c. strong coffee

1/4 c. Kahlua

Topping

1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

Cream together mascarpone and ricotta. Add half-and-half, sugar, and vanilla, and mix until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Combine ingredients for whipped cream layer. Whip until cream forms semi-stiff peaks. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Mix together coffee and Kahlua. In an ungreased 13x9 pan, place a single layer of savoiardi. Moisten each cookie with approximately 1 Tablespoon of the coffee mixture.

Smoothly spread the cheese mixture on top of the coffee-moistened savoiardi. Top with the whipped cream, spreading evenly.

Using a sifter or small sieve, cover the top with a thin layer of cocoa powder. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

If you liked this post, you may also like Strawberry Oreo Creme Dessert.