Have you ever wondered how to make Tiramisu? It is a delicious espresso Italian dessert that only requires minimal ingredients & effort to make. However, it does require 8-12 hours to chill. The literal meaning of "Tiramisu" in Italian is "pick me up" and "cheer me up". This is because the two main ingredients are caffinated chocolate & espresso.
Ingredients:
4 eggs, whites & yolks seperated
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup mascarpone
1 3/4 cup good espresso
2 tbsp rum or cognac (Kahlua)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
about 24 ladyfingers
shaved chocolate for topping (optional)
Instructions:
In a medium bowl, whip together the egg yolks & sugar until tripled in volume and it becomes a pale yellow color. Transfer to a large bowl. Fold in marscapone & vanilla gradually until medium peaks form.
In a medium bowl whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form and it is completely white. Gently fold in 1/2 the marscapone mixture into the egg whites. After well incorporated fold in the other half of the marscapone. It should have the consistency of whipped cream (soft & spreadable).
Put the rum and espresso into a shallow bowl.
Dust the bottom of a 2 quart square baking dish with 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, preferably using a sifter.
Carefully & quickly (2 seconds maximum) dip the lady fingers into the esperesso rum mixture. Being careful not to let them break as they are very porous. Place the ladyfingers round side down in an even layer at the bottom of the dish. Break the ladyfingers as needed to fill the gaps.
Spread the marscapone mixture evenly on the top. Repeat two more times until there are no ingredients left, and the marscapone is the last layer.
Let chill in the fridge for 8-12 hours. Dust the top layer evenly with cocoa powder. Shave chocolate on top and serve immediately.