Tiramisu

By lemirenl

This recipe is well worth the work. It melts in your mouth because the homemade lady fingers (made as a slab) are very soft.

Ingredients

• Lady Fingers
• 1/2 cup (65 grams) cake flour, sifted
• 3 large egg yolks, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated white sugar, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 3 tablespoons (36 grams) granulated white sugar
• Powdered (icing or confectioners) sugar for dusting the tops of the cookies
• TIRAMISU
• 6 Egg Yolks (large)
• 1 1/4 Cups Sugar
• 1 1/2 Cup Mascarpone Cheese
• 1 3/4 Cups Whipping Cream
• 3/4 Cup Water
• 2 Teaspoons Instant Coffee Granules
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Brandy
• 2 Three-ounce Packages Lady Fingers
• Garnish – Grated Unsweetened Chocolate/Whipping Cream

Preparation

Step 1

Lady Fingers
1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 
2.) In your electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and 2 tablespoons (25 grams) white sugar on high speed for about 5 minutes or until the mixture becomes thick and pale yellow.  (When you raise the beaters the batter should fall back into the bowl in a slow ribbon.) 
3.) Beat in the vanilla extract.  Sift the cake flour over the batter but do not fold in.
4.) In a clean bowl, with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until foamy. 
5.) Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form. 
6.) Gradually add the 3 tablespoons (36 grams) white sugar and whip until stiff peaks form and the whites are glossy. 
7.) Fold the whites into the egg yolk and flour mixture in three additions, mixing only until incorporated. 
8.) Transfer the batter to the baking sheet so it forms a sheet instead of fingers
9.) Place the powdered sugar in a wire strainer, and lightly sift the sugar over the tops of the cookies. 
10.) Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the ladyfingers are firm but barely browned and are still spongy when pressed with a finger.
11.) Remove the baking sheets from the oven and slide the parchment paper from the baking sheets onto a wire rack.  
12.) Let the finger slab cool for a few minutes and release it from the parchment paper, with a flat spatula, while still warm.  If you left them completely cool before removing them from the parchment they stick and hard to remove without breaking. 
13.) Finish cooling before using or storing.  If you are not using right away, freeze them.  Ladyfingers stale very quickly unless they are soaked in a liquid.  To store, place in a plastic bag between layers of wax or parchment paper and freeze up to 2 weeks.
14.) I made a layered Tiramisu in a 9x13 baking pan and used this recipe for one sheet.
15.) Make 2 sheets, if using a 9 x 13 in pan.

Tiramisu
1. ) Combine the egg yolks and sugar, beat at medium speed with an electric mixer, until thick and lemon coloured.

2.) Place egg mixture in top of a double boiler. Bring water in the bottom of the double boiler to a boil. Once water is boiling, reduce the heat to low and then cook the egg yolk mixture for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring constantly.

3.) Remove from heat and add the mascarpone cheese and beat until smooth. Beat whipping cream in a medium bowl until soft peaks form and then fold into the cheese mixture.

4.) Combine water, coffee granules and brandy (or just add brandy to the same amount of strong black coffee) this will be used to brush on the lady finger slabs

6.) Line the bottom of a rectangular pan (glass if you have it) with the lady finger slab and then spread the coffee mixture and then half of the cream/cheese mixture over top.
7.) Add another layer of the lady finger slab and then the remaining cream/cheese mixture.

Grate chocolate on top and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.