Tiramisu Recipe Classic

Tiramisu Recipe Classic

This alcohol-free version of Tiramisu recipe classic is made by dipping ladyfingers in strong coffee, layering them with a creamy mascarpone cheese mixture and whipped cream, and topping all with cocoa powder. A very rich and special dessert.

The tiramisu recipe classic includes instructions for making your own mascarpone. This should be done a day ahead of time, or you can use store bought mascarpone instead.

Allow time for chilling the tiramisu before serving.

About the Recipe

Tiramisu Recipe Classic is a traditional Italian dessert, which is made with mascarpone, ladyfingers and espresso coffee.

This dish originated in the 1970s in a restaurant in Treviso, Italy.

The original dish is a dessert that consists of a coffee-soaked cake, made from ladyfingers dipped in coffee, layered with a mixture of egg yolks and caster sugar, and topped with whipped cream.

The mascarpone is an Italian cream cheese, which is based on cream and not on milk.

The ladyfingers are also known as “savoiardi” in Italian. They’re sponge cake cookies that are made with a choux paste and soaked in a simple syrup.

Benefits

Tiramisu Recipe Classic is a rich and decadent dessert that requires a little more time and effort than other desserts. It’s not the type of thing you whip up in 15 minutes. But it’s worth the extra time and effort!

Tiramisu means “pick me up” in Italian because the coffee helps perk you up after a meal.

EQUIPMENT 

• Hand Mixer
• Food processor
• 7″ x 11″ Baking Dish

INGREDIENTS 

• For the Tiramisu 

• • 12 oz ladyfingers – (approximately)
  • 1½ cups rich pastry cream, [recipe below]
  • 18 oz. mascarpone cheese, [2.25 cups]
  • 1¼ cup whipping cream, [to make 2.5 cups whipped]
  • 2 cups very strong coffee or espresso, cooled
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder, unsweetened

• For the Pastry Cream 

• • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds removed
  • 6 egg yolks
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 2 tbsp butter

• For the Mascarpone [optional, can use store bought instead] 

• • 3 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1½ tbsp lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS 

• One or Two Days Ahead of Time – Make the Mascarpone Cheese (Optional Step) 

• • Bring the heavy cream almost to a boil. Simmer gently for 3 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice then continue simmering gently for another 3 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
  • Line a strainer with 3 layers of cheesecloth and place over a deep bowl. Pour the cooled cream mixture through the strainer. Cover and leave to strain overnight in the refrigerator. The next day, when the cheese is very thick, transfer it to a covered container and keep refrigerated until ready to use.

• One to Two Hours Before Assembly – Make the Pastry Cream 

• • In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and flour. Set aside.
  • In a small sauce pan, heat the milk with the vanilla bean just until scalding. (A skin will start to form; tiny bubbles will begin appearing at the edges.) Discard the vanilla bean and any skin on the surface of the milk.
  • Little by little, whisk the milk into the egg yolk mixture. Do this slowly to avoid heating the eggs too rapidly or they will begin to cook in the hot liquid.
  • Strain the milk and egg mixture back into the sauce pan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter.
  • Lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream and set aside to cool to room temperature. Once completely cooled, you can proceed to assembly of the tiramisu, or refrigerate the pastry cream until needed.

• Assemble the Tiramisu 

• • Make the cheese filling. By hand or with a mixer, beat the mascarpone for a minute to soften and lighten it. Add the cooled or chilled pastry cream and mix until well combined. Set aside.
  • Make the whipped cream. Beat the heavy cream with an electric mixer (or food processor with whipping attachment) until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
  • Gather ingredients and assemble the tiramisu. Set out a deep 11 x 7-inch (or 9 x 9-inch) pan. Have the cheese mixture, whipped cream, ladyfingers and bowl of coffee nearby.
  • One by one, dip ladyfingers into the coffee (long enough to absorb some coffee but not so long that they fall apart) and arrange them snugly into the dish in a single layer. Spread half of the cheese mixture over the ladyfingers and then top with half of the whipped cream. Repeat to make a second layer.
  • Generously dust the top of the tiramisu with cocoa powder (this is easiest done by sifting the cocoa through a small strainer). Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
  • The tiramisu will keep for several days. You can garnish it with a fresh layer of cocoa powder to freshen its appearance at later servings.

NOTES 

• If more convenient, the pastry cream and whipped cream can be made the day before assembly.
• If you don’t have a vanilla bean to make the pastry cream, you can replace it with one teaspoon of vanilla extract, which should be added with the butter after the pastry cream has thickened.
• You may need to break some ladyfingers to fit them into a complete layer in your dish. I do like to pack them snugly as suggested making a denser cake layer. You may or may not use all the lady fingers.
• I don’t like to saturate the ladyfingers when dipping them into the coffee. A two- to three-second dip is just right for my tastes.
• Note that the whipped cream and cocoa powder have no sugar added. The mascarpone cheese mixture too will not be overly sweet. This is intentional as the dessert is more rich than sweet.

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