This tiramisù is a rich, creamy confection that makes most versions you’ll encounter in a restaurant pale in comparison. It’s a layer of crisp, sugar-coated ladyfingers, sprinkled with dark coffee, covered with a smooth blend of whipped mascarpone, egg, dark rum and sugar, then finished with grated dark chocolate. You’ll find yourself sticking the spoon back into the bowl for scoop after scoop.
In the eighties and early nineties, this tiramisù recipe was one of our go-to desserts for special occasions. It’s from Gourmet magazine’s May 1988 issue. I have a well-used copy of the page, stained and crumpled, in my recipe folder. It’s been years since we’ve made it, but I pulled it out last weekend to make it for Tom’s birthday dessert.
This is not a sliceable tiramisù — you scoop it into your bowls. It has a whipped-cream like texture on the top and a softened sweet cake layer on the bottom.
We seldom order tiramisù in restaurants, because we are so often disappointed by it. It’s too cakey, too dry, etc. One trip to New York City had a single eating goal of tiramisù at a restaurant reputed to have the best version in town. We arrived late afternoon to sit in the lounge area and try the dessert. A huge portion was set in front of us. We’ve never been back.
Tiramisú might be like a favorite family recipe (Mom’s meatloaf, for example) — no version is as good as the one you were raised with. I didn’t have tiramisù as a child, but I love this version that we’ve been making since the eighties.
This recipe makes 6 to 8 servings.
Tips
- Plan to make this dish the day before you serve it. You want it to sit overnight. (Gourmet says at least 6 hours, or overnight.)
- This is very boozy tiramisù. Cut back on the dark rum if you don’t like the taste. If you don’t want the alcohol, cook it off and cool the rum back to room temperature before making the dessert.
- Use crunchy Italian ladyfingers, called Biscotti di Savoiardi. You can find them in Italian grocery stores. Don’t substitute the soft ladyfingers from American grocery stores.
- Lay the ladyfingers flat at the bottom of the dish. If they don’t quite fit, use fewer and don’t put the extras on top of each other. They won’t soften.
Ingredients
- 7-ounce package Biscotti di Savoiardi (ladyfingers)
- 1/3 cup strong brewed coffee, at room temperature
- 3 large eggs, separated, the whites at room temperature
- 2/3 cup confectioners sugar
- 10 ounces mascarpone cheese (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 1/4 cup dark rum
- 2 tablespoons grated bittersweet chocolate
Directions
Arrange the ladyfingers at the bottom of a 1 1/2 quart serving dish. Sprinkle them with the coffee. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks and confectioners sugar together until thick and pale yellow. Add the mascarpone and rum and beat until smooth.
Wash and fully dry your beaters. In another bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they just hold stiff peaks. Gently fold the egg whites into the mascarpone mixture until thoroughly blended.
Spread the creamy mascarpone blend over the ladyfingers, smoothing the top. Sprinkle it with the grated chocolate. Cover the bowl and chill the dessert in the refrigerator overnight.
Use a large spoon to scoop servings into bowls.
Related Topics
Here are some other dessert recipes that you might enjoy.