David Venable's Tiramisu

By davidv

Let this Tiramisu take your taste buds to Italy!

Tip: Feel free to add summertime fruit to the recipe—think strawberries or raspberries. Just incorporate with the cream mixture.

Ingredients

• Coffee Syrup:
• 1 cup strong coffee, brewed
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 oz coffee-flavored liqueur
• Mascarpone Filling:
• 6 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 lb mascarpone cheese
• 2-1/2 oz Marsala or Brandy
• 3 cups heavy cream
• Other:
• 4 (3-oz) packages ladyfinger cookies
• 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Preparation

Step 1

To prepare the syrup, combine the coffee, sugar, and coffee liqueur in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Refrigerate the mixture and let it cool completely.

To prepare the filling, fit a stand mixer with a whisk attachment and beat the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until thick and pale, about 6 minutes. Add the vanilla extract, mascarpone cheese, and Marsala; mix until smooth.

In a medium-sized bowl, beat the heavy cream until peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the Mascarpone egg mixture until fully incorporated. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Pour the cool coffee syrup in a small shallow dish. Quickly dip each ladyfinger into the espresso. (Don't allow the cookies to be immersed for longer than a few seconds.)

To assemble the tiramisu, spread a third of the mascarpone mixture on the bottom of a 9" x 13" baking dish and arrange half of the soaked ladyfingers on top. Spread another third of the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers. Repeat with the remaining ladyfingers and mascarpone. Dust the top with cocoa powder. Cover and refrigerate for 4–6 hours, or until set.