A heavenly dessert made with Italian lady fingers, Mascarpone cheese and espresso.
Chef's notes
If you don't have an espresso machine, the next best thing to do is to prepare the "espresso" through a French press. I found that it tastes much better than brewed coffee.
Instead of using egg whites, you can replace them with whipped cream.
For a stronger coffee, use about 3 heaping tablespoons of coffee beans.
The total time excludes the refrigerating time for the Tiramisu.
Steps
1
Preparing the French Pressed Coffee
Ingredients
1 cup water
2 heaping tbsp coffee beans
3/4 cup Marsala or Kahlua liqueur
To make the French pressed coffee, bring the water to a boil, turn off heat and let rest for 5 minutes.
In a coffee grinder, grind the coffee beans until they have the consistency of rock salt. Place the ground beans into a french press, add the water and cover.
After 5 minutes, push down the plunger gently and pour the coffee onto a wide container. Allow to cool, then add the liqueur.
2
Making the Zabaglione Mixture
Ingredients
4 large egg yolks
1/3 cup caster sugar
1/3 Marsala or Kahlua liqueur
500 g Mascarpone cheese
To prepare your mise en place, first fill a large pot half full Bring to a just a boil and then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Separate the yolks from the egg whites into different bowls. Next, prepare an ice bath and set aside.
To make the zabaglione, combine yolks and the sugar in a heat-proof bowl then place over a pot of gently simmering water and whisk the mixture until pale. Slowly add Kahlua to the mixture while whisking and whisk for about 10 minutes or until tripled in volume and mixture holds a ribbon trail. Cool the mixture onto an ice bath.
Place the mascarpone cheese in a bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth and creamy or just until it has lighten in consistency.
When the zabaglione has cooled down, fold this into the mascarpone mixture until combine. Cover and set aside in the fridge.
3
Gathering your other Mise en Place
Ingredients
36 to 40 Italian lady fingers
Before assembling the tiramisu, gather the lady fingers, the espresso mixture, a 7 1/2" x 10 1/2" -inch glass baking dish, a rubber spatula, a small knife and a small chopping board.
4
Whisking the Egg Whites
Ingredients
4 large egg whites
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form or the peaks of the whites droop slightly. Bring out the zabaglione mixture from the refrigerator and fold into the egg whites.
5
Assembling the Tiramisu
To assemble the tiramisu, dip each lady finger into the espresso mixture. Allow each lady finger to completely soak but remove immediately so they are wet on the outside but still somewhat dry inside. Shake off excess liquid and and place onto the baking dish. Continue with the rest of the lady fingers until the first layer has been completely covered. You may need to cut the other lady fingers into smaller pieces to cover any holes.
Next, cover the lady fingers with three-quarters of the cheese mixture. Spread it evenly to cover.
Add the second layer of the lady fingers and finish with the rest of the cheese mixture, spreading it out evenly.
Place toothpicks on top of the tiramisu and cover the baking dish completely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 5 to 6 hours before serving.
6
Serving the Tiramisu
Ingredients
cocoa powder or dark chocolate shavings (to garnish)
To serve the tiramisu, remove the plastic and the toothpick. Divide the tiramisu into 8 to 10 square pieces and place onto a chilled plate. Dust with cocoa powder or with chocolate shavings and serve.
33 Comments
Dawn T•
I would love some of this right now! It's that time of day that this would be a great pick me up! Thanks
I just got through making this dessert, and it is chilling now.
Everything seemed to be going fine, I did need to look up what was meant of "ribbon trail" to ensure I had the correct consistancy with the yolk/sugar mixture. In the end I think I did this part correctly.
The yolks were also wisked until soft peaks formed.
Challenges -
In the end I did not have enough cheese mixture to cover both layers of the lady fingers. I used a slightly larger pan, which may have caused the issue. I may cover with some whipped cream.
The cheese mixture is more yellow that white, color does not match the picture above.
The mascarpone cheese did not seem smooth once added to the other items. I may have needed to beat it longer. The consitancy of the cheese mixture was not smooth and creamy in the end.
Any suggestions for my next try?
Just curious to know how it turned out for you. To answer some of your questions/challenges>
As for the amount of filling not being enough, I am sure like you said, this is due to the fact that you used a larger pan.
As for the cheese mixture being more yellow than the picture, I am sure this is due to the egg yolks. These days so many egg yolks are bright yellow, this does affect the color of things.
As for the mascarpone not being smooth, I am imagine this is exactly what Khaled said, the mascarpone was likely just too cold.
Hope this helps! Cheers
The Tiramisu tasted great! I added whipped cream and sifted cocoa powder on the top to correct the look of the dessert. I will make this again and I am sure with the experience of the first try/feedback I can correct the issues I had.
I love to experiment; I combined 50/50 home made sweet whipped cream with good quality honey-walnut cream cheese and a little of Marsala Wine (a few drops only), made the cream, placed it in a plastic bag, in to the refrigerator until ready to eat desert. When ready, I soaked lady fingers in Tia Maria coffee liquor and heat them up for 20 seconds in the microwave (they got really hot). Then cut a corner of the bag containing the cream and layered a wine glass with the lady fingers and the cream, sifted cocoa powder on top and served. It was a hit. The combination of cool and hot and the nutty flavors really added to that desert.
It is a favorite dessert, but for some reason, I can not seem to make it from just reading directions. The visual helps make a complete picture for me along with using text for reference. It is a beautiful and very impressive dessert. It would be perfect for completing and complementing many other European-like dinners. Please consider a video for a "how to." Tres Leches cake is another dessert I would love to see a "how to" of.
I will give this a go tonight, but please make a video of this tutorial. I was a little surprised that Tiramisu only had a text recipe -- Tiramisu being one of the champions of the dessert world :-)
I too had problems with the Mascarpone. It separated when I tried to beat it smooth. Having read the comments first, I made sure to leave it out on the countertop for three hours before attempting this -- still no luck.
We really need a more detailed explanation on this step in the recipe. Why is this happening when the Mascarpone is at room temperature? Have I beat it for too long? (I doubt it, as the Mascarpone never got to the smooth and creamy stage.) The recipe says wooden spoon, is this vital to the procedure? (I really see no reason why a metal spoon shouldn't do the trick.)
Hi Richard,
If the mascarpone was separating, it was likely still too cold or you didn't beat it long enough to lighten its consistency. When things like mascarpone and cream cheese aren't at room temperature, they aren't able to evenly incorporate air and can't emulsify properly. The spoon shouldn't have made a difference, but wooden spoons are usually bigger. The back of the spoon can help you to smooth out the cheese before you beat it to a lighter consistency.
Did you use full-fat mascarpone or a lighter version? Sometimes low-fat products won't blend properly.
We will eventually get into more pastry techniques in the Rouxbe School. The most important thing during pastry making is to have your ingredients at the proper temperature before combining them. Hope this helps!
I actually make a recipe very similar to this one on a regular basis. In fact, I made tiramisu last night! Giada DeLaurentis from the Everyday Italian cooking show has this recipe in her book and I watched one episode of her making this a long time ago.
Tips:
-the marscapone should be at room temperature
-the recipe I use is double the amount of whip cream and marscapone, so I never run out of filling.
-I also use espresso instead of coffee and that gives the tiramisu an amazing flavor.
Hope this helps. Tiramisu is one of my favorite deserts!
+1 for video.
in the recipe i've tried before, number of egg whites was only 1/2 of egg yolks.
for 500 g. of cheese i used 6 yolks and 3 whites.
Does it make any sence?
I would love to try this, but have 2 problems and wondered if anyone had any useful ideas.. problem 1, I don't drink so the Kahlua needs to be replaced with something but, more importantly, problem 2, I can't do coffee of any sort.. the caffeine gives me horrible migraines. I had this once, years and years ago and I remember it being very good, but have been unable since to try it, and as much as I'd love to make it, I don't see the point since I wouldn't be able to even taste it. Does anyone have any ideas that might help?
Sorry, we have not made tiramisu without alcohol or coffee as these are classic ingredients in this dessert. Perhaps other users have tried this. Other than that, you can always search online. We searched for "tiramisu without coffee or alcohol" and found quite a few recipes. Good luck!
This didn't turn out so good for me. I had exactly the right pan size, and used exactly 40 ladyfingers so that part went well. What didn't go well.......whisking the egg yolks, sugar, then Marsala. No way this was going to triple in volume. It looked at first like it was increasing but then it started to lose volume. After 5 or 6 min. I just gave up as no way this was going to increase in volume or do anything like a 'ribbon'. So carried on with the recipe as if it did increase in volume. I had no trouble with beating the cheese, or folding in the egg yoke mixture and then yolks. All is fine. Then assembling the tiramisu.... ran out of the Espresso/Marsala blend for dipping the ladyfingers in so had to quickly make more to finish the top layer of ladyfingers. And my, do you ever have to work fast so the ladyfingers don't soak up too much and crumble! Like mere seconds. Had enough cheese to cover the top just perfectly. It all looked great and chilled in the fridge etc. Time to eat it and couldn't! It was way too strong of Marsala and actually ruined what would have been a pretty decent dish if the alcohol was milder. Maybe Kahlua should be used?? Don't know but my gosh it was so strong. The texture and tast of the cheese mixture was pretty good though! Next time will use more espresso and less booze!
Making the Zabaglione can be tricky. It is helpful to have the eggs at room temperature. Making the zabaglione is nearly the same thing as making a sabayon for hollandaise (the mixture just contains sugar and booze).
See Topic 3 in the Hollandaise lesson for some reference/guidance. Warming the mixture and vigorous whisking will increase the volume of the zabaglione. This whole process just takes plenty of practice to get it right.
Yes, when dipping the lady fingers, this needs to be done very briefly and quickly as they can quickly fall apart. In terms of the flavor, there are so many variations of this dessert; perhaps this one is just too strong for you. Feel free to make tweaks the next time you make it.
This is a very technical dish. We will eventually cover more pastry-related items in the cooking school; however, we are currently focused on culinary lessons. Hope this helps in the mean time! Cheers!
Making this tonight--will report back. Have made a very similar version from an Italian cookbook and had trouble with the mascarpone as well. Looking through other recipes we decided to go with a 50/50 mascarpone and homemade whip cream, gently folding the two together. This has worked well for us, but it is important to very gently fold them or the mixture gets too runny.
Here is a good reference guide for food substitution suggestions that you may want to bookmark. It is really up to you and your tastes on which liqueur you want to use. Cheers!
I added the zabaglione to the mascarpone in two batches, but the result was a liquid mess instead of a cream. I wonder why… Can you give some advice on how to combine these two together?
Was it because I beat the mascarpone too much? Should I add the zabaglione gradually? Should I let the zabaglione cool even further?
Thank you.
It's hard to say ; there could have been several issues. It could be that you didn't develop the zabaglione enough to a good ribbon stage, the mixture may not have been cool enough or the zabaglione and the mascarpone weren't at the approximate same temperature when combining the two. Because you want to retain the most air in the zabaglione, it is best to add it in stages. Try adding about 1/3 of the zabaglione into the mascarpone to "lighten" the overall texture, then fold in the remainder in two other batches. Cheers!
My very first time making tiramisu and it was one of the best I've had! I did not have Marsala and used milk instead. It was very creamy and flavourful.
Why do you put the egg and sugar over a bagno maria? i never do that...is it for food safety? and coffee must be cold when dipping lady fingers in, thats why most people must of had problems with biscuits crumbling...(cold meaning room temperature ) and i usualy beat the mascarpone with an electric mixer so its nice and creamy :-) .just thought these tips would be helpful :-D
I believe that this recipe calls for cooking the egg/sugar mixture over a baine marie, as this helps to prevent the eggs from overcooking and/or becoming cooked/scrambled/dried around the edges.
And as for using cold coffee, rather then hot coffee, you are correct, it just makes them less likely to fall apart. And, of course it also protects your fingers :-)
Cheers!
I read all the comments on this recipe before starting to make it.
So I absolutely made sure the mascarpone was at room temperature.
I also watched several times the video on sabayon for hollandaise to get a feeling for the process of making Zabaglione .
But making the Zabaglione was not easy, it took me a long time to get to the ribbon consistency but finally I got it.
The trouble was when I mixed the mascarpone with the Zabaglione, it separated, like what happened to another person.
The mix never turned out smooth.
I don't think it's because of the mascarpone temperature unless it can't be too 'room temperature' but it has to be a bit on the cold side.
I was wondering if it's because of the Marsala wine, I didn't use Khalua.
Another question I have is in which step can we use a hand mixer?
Can we use it on all steps like to fluff the mascarpone, to mix the Zabaglione, to beat the egg whites?
I did it all by hand but I have to say I'd much rather do it with the mixer. If there is a reason to avoid it, I'd like to know.
Well, even with the separated mascarpone and all, I'm sure the taste will be great because it got all the good ingredients.
But to save the dish, I had to whip some cream and incorporate it in the mix so it would be smoother.
I'd like to get any suggestions on what I could have done wrong.
Is this a recipe used by Rouxbe staff sucessfully several times?
Thanks.
Hi Lili- Thank you for your message. Zabaglione is all about temperature incorporating enough air in the product - so it's not all just about beating the eggs quickly. Working by hand is important because it helps to really identify and understand the step by step. The mascarpone should, after some mixing, becoming incorporated into the mixture.
Without being there, it's hard to know exactly what went wrong - as there are many variables to consider and each product description can impact the next. But, great work on using cream... that saves the day a lot. I hope this helps!
Just curious about the "actual" risk of using the raw egg whites and yolks in this recipe. I know there are a lot of sites out there that "have to" say that there is always a risk of salmonella etc etc. But really, this is the traditional way, and should in the vast majority of instances (like 99.999%) be perfectly safe to consume right?
Hi Kevin- Raw eggs carry more risk than other foods, but people do still consume them with regular frequency and in the vast majority of cases, they are fine.
But the risk is real and salmonella is seriously dangerous, so it must be stated so people who wish not to "roll the dice" can be forewarned.
~Ken
Coco H •Love tiramisu...i use sponge cake sometimes when i couldnt find the biscuit italian finger :D
April L •I just got through making this dessert, and it is chilling now. Everything seemed to be going fine, I did need to look up what was meant of "ribbon trail" to ensure I had the correct consistancy with the yolk/sugar mixture. In the end I think I did this part correctly. The yolks were also wisked until soft peaks formed. Challenges - In the end I did not have enough cheese mixture to cover both layers of the lady fingers. I used a slightly larger pan, which may have caused the issue. I may cover with some whipped cream. The cheese mixture is more yellow that white, color does not match the picture above. The mascarpone cheese did not seem smooth once added to the other items. I may have needed to beat it longer. The consitancy of the cheese mixture was not smooth and creamy in the end. Any suggestions for my next try?
K A •The reason the mascarpone is not smooth is probably because it was cold. The best way is to let it come to room temperature before mixing.
Louis P •I love to experiment; I combined 50/50 home made sweet whipped cream with good quality honey-walnut cream cheese and a little of Marsala Wine (a few drops only), made the cream, placed it in a plastic bag, in to the refrigerator until ready to eat desert. When ready, I soaked lady fingers in Tia Maria coffee liquor and heat them up for 20 seconds in the microwave (they got really hot). Then cut a corner of the bag containing the cream and layered a wine glass with the lady fingers and the cream, sifted cocoa powder on top and served. It was a hit. The combination of cool and hot and the nutty flavors really added to that desert.
ahn F •It is a favorite dessert, but for some reason, I can not seem to make it from just reading directions. The visual helps make a complete picture for me along with using text for reference. It is a beautiful and very impressive dessert. It would be perfect for completing and complementing many other European-like dinners. Please consider a video for a "how to." Tres Leches cake is another dessert I would love to see a "how to" of.
Richard F •I will give this a go tonight, but please make a video of this tutorial. I was a little surprised that Tiramisu only had a text recipe -- Tiramisu being one of the champions of the dessert world :-)
Kimberley S • Rouxbe Staff •Hi Richard, If the mascarpone was separating, it was likely still too cold or you didn't beat it long enough to lighten its consistency. When things like mascarpone and cream cheese aren't at room temperature, they aren't able to evenly incorporate air and can't emulsify properly. The spoon shouldn't have made a difference, but wooden spoons are usually bigger. The back of the spoon can help you to smooth out the cheese before you beat it to a lighter consistency. Did you use full-fat mascarpone or a lighter version? Sometimes low-fat products won't blend properly. We will eventually get into more pastry techniques in the Rouxbe School. The most important thing during pastry making is to have your ingredients at the proper temperature before combining them. Hope this helps!
Tricia R •I actually make a recipe very similar to this one on a regular basis. In fact, I made tiramisu last night! Giada DeLaurentis from the Everyday Italian cooking show has this recipe in her book and I watched one episode of her making this a long time ago. Tips: -the marscapone should be at room temperature -the recipe I use is double the amount of whip cream and marscapone, so I never run out of filling. -I also use espresso instead of coffee and that gives the tiramisu an amazing flavor. Hope this helps. Tiramisu is one of my favorite deserts!
Denis U •+1 for video. in the recipe i've tried before, number of egg whites was only 1/2 of egg yolks. for 500 g. of cheese i used 6 yolks and 3 whites. Does it make any sence?
Terry F •This didn't turn out so good for me. I had exactly the right pan size, and used exactly 40 ladyfingers so that part went well. What didn't go well.......whisking the egg yolks, sugar, then Marsala. No way this was going to triple in volume. It looked at first like it was increasing but then it started to lose volume. After 5 or 6 min. I just gave up as no way this was going to increase in volume or do anything like a 'ribbon'. So carried on with the recipe as if it did increase in volume. I had no trouble with beating the cheese, or folding in the egg yoke mixture and then yolks. All is fine. Then assembling the tiramisu.... ran out of the Espresso/Marsala blend for dipping the ladyfingers in so had to quickly make more to finish the top layer of ladyfingers. And my, do you ever have to work fast so the ladyfingers don't soak up too much and crumble! Like mere seconds. Had enough cheese to cover the top just perfectly. It all looked great and chilled in the fridge etc. Time to eat it and couldn't! It was way too strong of Marsala and actually ruined what would have been a pretty decent dish if the alcohol was milder. Maybe Kahlua should be used?? Don't know but my gosh it was so strong. The texture and tast of the cheese mixture was pretty good though! Next time will use more espresso and less booze!
Kendrick W •Making this tonight--will report back. Have made a very similar version from an Italian cookbook and had trouble with the mascarpone as well. Looking through other recipes we decided to go with a 50/50 mascarpone and homemade whip cream, gently folding the two together. This has worked well for us, but it is important to very gently fold them or the mixture gets too runny.
Kariman H •Is there any substitute for Kahlua liqueur, or can I just make the tiramisu without it?
Sebastian T •I added the zabaglione to the mascarpone in two batches, but the result was a liquid mess instead of a cream. I wonder why… Can you give some advice on how to combine these two together? Was it because I beat the mascarpone too much? Should I add the zabaglione gradually? Should I let the zabaglione cool even further? Thank you.
Plamena A •My very first time making tiramisu and it was one of the best I've had! I did not have Marsala and used milk instead. It was very creamy and flavourful.
Teresa beatrice C •Why do you put the egg and sugar over a bagno maria? i never do that...is it for food safety? and coffee must be cold when dipping lady fingers in, thats why most people must of had problems with biscuits crumbling...(cold meaning room temperature ) and i usualy beat the mascarpone with an electric mixer so its nice and creamy :-) .just thought these tips would be helpful :-D
Lili I •I read all the comments on this recipe before starting to make it. So I absolutely made sure the mascarpone was at room temperature. I also watched several times the video on sabayon for hollandaise to get a feeling for the process of making Zabaglione . But making the Zabaglione was not easy, it took me a long time to get to the ribbon consistency but finally I got it. The trouble was when I mixed the mascarpone with the Zabaglione, it separated, like what happened to another person. The mix never turned out smooth. I don't think it's because of the mascarpone temperature unless it can't be too 'room temperature' but it has to be a bit on the cold side. I was wondering if it's because of the Marsala wine, I didn't use Khalua. Another question I have is in which step can we use a hand mixer? Can we use it on all steps like to fluff the mascarpone, to mix the Zabaglione, to beat the egg whites? I did it all by hand but I have to say I'd much rather do it with the mixer. If there is a reason to avoid it, I'd like to know. Well, even with the separated mascarpone and all, I'm sure the taste will be great because it got all the good ingredients. But to save the dish, I had to whip some cream and incorporate it in the mix so it would be smoother. I'd like to get any suggestions on what I could have done wrong. Is this a recipe used by Rouxbe staff sucessfully several times? Thanks.
Ken R • Rouxbe Staff •Hi Lili- Thank you for your message. Zabaglione is all about temperature incorporating enough air in the product - so it's not all just about beating the eggs quickly. Working by hand is important because it helps to really identify and understand the step by step. The mascarpone should, after some mixing, becoming incorporated into the mixture. Without being there, it's hard to know exactly what went wrong - as there are many variables to consider and each product description can impact the next. But, great work on using cream... that saves the day a lot. I hope this helps!
Kevin B •Just curious about the "actual" risk of using the raw egg whites and yolks in this recipe. I know there are a lot of sites out there that "have to" say that there is always a risk of salmonella etc etc. But really, this is the traditional way, and should in the vast majority of instances (like 99.999%) be perfectly safe to consume right?
Liliane A •Yes it would be great to have a video for this classic Italian dessert..can't wait