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A serving of easy tiramisu on a white plate with a spoon resting on the side and a shot of espresso in the background.
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4.84 / 6 votes

Easy Tiramisu

This easy tiramisu recipe is darn close to the classic and, dare we say, better. It's simple, it swaps the usual marsala for that lovely coffee-imbued rum known as Tia Maria, and quite frankly, it's the best.
Prep Time30 minutes
Chill4 hours
Total Time4 hours 30 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 349

Ingredients

  • 1 cup brewed espresso, at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons Tia Maria liqueur
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 6 large egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • A pinch table salt
  • 1 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 24 ladyfinger cookies*
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder, for sprinkling
US - Metric

Instructions

  • Whisk the espresso, Tia Maria, and milk together in a medium bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  • In a large bowl or with a stand mixer, combine the egg yolks with the sugar and salt and beat with an electric mixer or the stand mixer for 4 to 5 minutes or until the mixture is pale yellow. (Alternatively, if you’d like a great arm workout, you can instead do this by hand.) Add the mascarpone and mix well.
  • In a separate bowl with clean beaters, beat the cream until stiff peaks form.
  • Add the cream to the mascarpone mixture, a dollop at a time, slowly and carefully folding it in until no streaks remain before adding the next dollop.
  • Gently dip half the ladyfingers in the refrigerated coffee mixture long enough for the exterior of the cookie to be soaked but not so long that the entire cookie turns to mush. Arrange the soaked cookies in a single layer in a 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33-cm) baking dish. Spread half the mascarpone mixture over the cookies. Soak the rest of the ladyfingers as you did the others and layer them on top of the mascarpone mixture. Cover with the rest of the mascarpone mixture.
  • Sprinkle cocoa powder over the top, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.

Notes

*WHAT CAN I USE INSTEAD OF LADYFINGERS IN TIRAMISU?

Can’t make it to the grocer and your pantry is ladyfinger free? You can substitute a couple of things, so don’t panic just yet. Both pound cake and sponge cake work quite well, here. But you do need to get it good and crispy first. Slice into strips and bake in a low oven (250°F) for about 10 minutes, or until lightly crisp. Problem solved.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 349kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 223mg | Sodium: 69mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g