Tiramisu

One of my great loves in dessert is tiramisu. I've made it a few times over the years, and this recipe has always been my go-to because it is one of the most straightforward recipes out there and it is so classical in taste. No fancy egg foam (zabaglione), so it's just a matter of mixing the cream layer and assembling.

Now I actually have never used ladyfingers to make tiramisu, mostly because it's out of my way to get the stuff, and it's usually kinda pricey and I don't know what I'd do with the leftovers. So I use pound cake. I always can find a use for extra pound cake! When I have the time, I'll make my own, but I am heartily in favor of using whatever pound cake you can get your hands on. In fact, on this occasion it had been my intent to buy pound cake; however I was foiled by Costco's assorted seasonal pound cakes (e.g. pumpkin streusel) replacing their normal plain pound cake 3-packs. So I came home and baked a pound cake from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From my home to yours. 

Also, I'll go out on a limb here and say that cool whip is a perfectly acceptable substitute and will make the process just that much more efficient by not needing to go whip a bunch of heavy cream. For that matter, you can lighten up the whole thing by using less mascarpone and Lite Cool Whip, or using light sponge cake or ladyfingers instead of pound cake. It's all very amenable to changes. That's the beauty of trifle-type desserts. Not to mention the satisfying cake-to-filling ratio and creaminess that would never be achievable in a free-standing layer cake.

So all in all, tiramisu is one of the most tasty, adaptable, and less stress/perfectionist than a layer cake. Why not make it for your next celebration? I don't know why I don't make it more!

Tiramisu (Adapted from Gourmet Magazine)

Ingredients:

Espresso syrup

1/3 cup water

1/2 cup sugar (or less, according to taste)

2/3 cup strong brewed espresso (I use espresso powder in hot water to match this volume)

1/4 cup Italian/domestic brandy, or Kahlua, optional

Mascarpone filling

1 & 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 pound (16 ounces) mascarpone cheese, room temperature

1/2 pound ladyfingers or sponge cake, or one loaf of pound cake sliced 1/2 inch thick

cocoa powder for dusting

Instructions:

For the syrup, combine water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Once dissolved, remove from heat and cool. Add coffee and alcohol.

For the filling, whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. In another bowl place all of the mascarpone cheese. Fold cream in about 3 batches into the softened mascarpone, being more gentle with each subsequent batch so you don't deflate the cream.

Bring out a clean trifle bowl or a rectangle 2-quart baking dish. To assemble, start with a layer of ladyfingers or cake, breaking pieces as necessary to fill all the random gaps and making a nice complete layer. Brush on 1/3 (if using a tall serving vessel like a trifle bowl) or 1/2 (if using the baking dish) of the syrup, making sure there is even distribution of the syrup across the layer of cake. Spread 1/3 or 1/2 of the creamy filling, likewise. Repeat. After you have finished the top creamy layer, use a spatula to smooth the surface as much as possible.

Refrigerate until you wish to serve, probably best within a couple of days. Before serving, dust the top with a layer of cocoa with a sifter to finish.

Enjoy!