Tiramisu is one of my favorite desserts. This is a fairly light dessert, not too much dough, most of it is delicious cream and it is very easy to make. It has everything I like: rich creamy texture, coffee, alcohol and chocolate. What would I prefer: pie or tiramisu? Tiramisu! Cake or tiramisu? Tiramisu! Pavlova or tiramisu? You already know the answer. Trifle or tiramisu? Ti...What flavor is the trifle? Because, you know, tiramisu is also a trifle.
I'm not sure there has ever been an "original" or "best" tiramisu recipe because there are hundreds of different recipes online. But this one is my favorite, and as I've seen in several Italian "nonna" videos, they make tiramisu in a very similar way.
So what does nonna’s recipe have to do with it? The main ingredient is only mascarpone, without cream, ricotta or cream cheese. And fresh eggs. And while mascarpone may be a personal choice, fresh eggs may not be acceptable. If you are afraid of them, you can switch to quail eggs (5 eggs for each chicken egg) or find a recipe without eggs at all. I'm not afraid of fresh eggs, but I only eat them in places where they are safe, and whenever possible I choose farm-raised eggs with additional salmonella safety information.
Let's talk about mascarpone or cream. I find local British cream too heavy for me even at the same fat content level. So I would suggest Italian if you want a lighter tasting dessert, but you're better off trying and finding what you like best.
Ingredients
2 eggs
50g sugar (part of it may be vanilla sugar or extract)
250g mascarpone
150g savoiardi sponges (or lady finger) 200 ml coffee that tastes strong to you (it is ok to use instant coffee)
200 ml coffee that tastes strong to you (it is ok to use instant coffee)
a bit of Marsala wine, or Baileys, or Kahlua - to add a little alcohol for dessert
cocoa powder for finish
Proccess
Separate eggs into whites and yolks
Beat the yolks with sugar until they become almost white
Add the mascarpone and stir by hand until smooth
Using another bowl and a clean beater, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form
Gently fold together the egg whites and mascarpone mixture using a silicone spatula or spoon
Mix cold coffee with alcohol, if using, and place in a wide, narrow container
Prepare another container for dessert - serving glasses or a large container
Quickly dip the sponges, one at a time, into the coffee and place them in a single layer in the container
Sprinkle the sponges with the coffee mixture (this will add juiciness to the dessert)
