My recent travels to Italy inspired me to try and make the best tiramisu ever, and you know what, I think the simpler, the better. In Italy, they don’t add anything fancy, they simply use good quality ingredients! This is a great make-ahead dessert, you can make it 1-2 days in advance! When you dip the ladyfingers, make sure it’s only for a second, so they don’t get soggy.

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Chill Tims: 5 Hrs

Total Time 5 Hrs 20 Minutes

Makes an 8x8 inch dish

Ingredients

500g Mascarpone

1 Cup (240mL) Cold Heavy Cream

½ Cup (100g) Granulated Sugar

5 Large Egg Yolks

Pinch of Salt

1 Tsp (4g) Vanilla Extract

¾ Cup (180mL) Freshly Brewed Espresso

¼ Cup (60mL) Dark Rum or Marsala Wine

Ladyfingers

Cocoa Powder

1.     Mix the mascarpone around in a bowl with a spatula just to soften it up to ensure there are no lumps and set aside.

2.     Whip the cream to stiff peaks, cover with plastic and set in the fridge for later.

3.     Stir the egg yolks, sugar, pinch of salt, and vanilla in a heatproof bowl over simmering water until the mixture is warm to the touch, then off the heat, beat with a hand mixer until very thick, pale, and a ribbon falls back on itself when you lift the beaters out of the bowl. Scrape the bowl down with a spatula.

4.     Gently mix in the mascarpone until smooth, then fold in the whipped cream until smooth.

5.     Mix the espresso and rum/marsala in a bowl and have your 8x8 inch dish ready. Dip the ladyfingers for about 2 seconds per side in the espresso mixture, then arrange them in the dish until the bottom is covered. Pour half of the mascarpone mixture on top of the ladyfingers and smooth it into a flat even layer. Repeat this process with the ladyfingers one more time and top it off with the rest of the cream mixture.

6.     Dust the top with cocoa powder, cover with plastic and chill for a minimum of 5 hours before serving.

Store covered with plastic in the fridge for up to 4 days.