Easy Tiramisu for 2 or 4

Tiramisu 

Beat the egg whites

They should look like this

Egg yolks should look like this

Dust on cocoa powder

Oh hail to one of my favorite desserts of all time! There's something so delightful about espresso, mascarpone cheese and lady fingers mingling together. The dessert is both rich and light at the same time. 

An all seasons dessert

It finishes casual and elegant meals equally well. Is perfect to eat on a hot summer night but cozy enough to enjoy after a romantic, candle lit meal in the fall and winter too. She's a 4 season kind of dessert!

This is an easy recipe

I was petrified to make tiramisu at home. I thought it involved some kind of impossible cream heated over a double boiler called zabaglione. This version doesn't do that. I took an Italian cooking class and the instructor is an Italy native. This is her at-home version. It tastes identical to the best tiramisu I've had in restaurants and it's really easy to make. 

All you have to do is -

• Whisk eggs whites and sugar into soft peaks
• Whisk egg yolks and sugar into a light yellow ribbon, then add mascarpone cheese
• Fold the whites into the cheese mixture
• Dip lady fingers into espresso 
• Layer the lady fingers between the cheese mixture
• Refrigerate and serve

The egg whites

The egg whites should look stiffer than shaving cream but the peaks should tip over, not stand up straight.

If using a stand mixer

The same beaters can be used for both the egg white and the egg yolk. First add the egg white to a clean stand mixer bowl and beat as directed. Transfer the whipped egg white to a different bowl. Add the yolk to the bowl of a stand mixer and proceed with the recipe. 

The cheese

I've used different brands of mascarpone cheese and all have worked but Trader Joe's. Trader Joe's mascarpone cheese is grainy and the texture of ricotta. Mascarpone cheese should be thick, glossy and silky. 

It should also not be allowed to come to room temperature. Measure it out and put it in the fridge until ready to use. Room temperature mascarpone can separate and we don't want that.

Can I get sick from raw eggs?

Use the freshest eggs you can buy. Getting salmonella from raw eggs is extremely rare. It happens in 1 out of 20,000 eggs. That means your chance of getting sick is .005%. I use Eggland's Best Eggs and have been fine for years. Or try a different recipe. :)

Lady Fingers

In the United States lady fingers are found prepared 2 different ways. In the supermarket you'll typically find them in the cookie aisle. They'll be large, dry and firm. In the bakery section you can also find them. They'll be made of sponge cake and will be softer. Often they're split, lengthwise down the middle. Either the cookie or the cake type works. Use what you can find. If using the sponge cake version, I like to freeze any extra "fingers" for another time.

The recipe calls for 3-4/6-7 lady fingers but feel free to use more or less. The amount used depends a lot on the vessel you're using and you're preference. I often use more because I like to have a lot of "cake" in my dessert but if you prefer more of the cream, space them further apart.

The Vessel

I use a small, 1 cup rectangle vessel for the 2 serving tiramisu and a 2 cup square glass dish I have for the 4 serving version. Since you aren't baking the dessert, any food-safe container will work. To make sure you're tiramisu will fit, select your container, measure a cup of water and pour it into the dish. The mixture will fit if it leaves at least an 1/2 inch of extra space from the top.

Since lady fingers are rectangular, I recommend using a rectangular shaped dish.

RECIPE

FOR 2 PEOPLE (see below for ingredients for 4 people)

{Nutrition is an estimation estimate only. Different mascarpone cheese and lady fingers will change the details.}

237 calories | 3.6 total fat | 48.5 carbs | 2 fiber | 34.4 sugars | 8.8 protein 

4 ounces mascarpone cheese, straight from refrigerator

1 large egg

3 -4 lady fingers

2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

1/4 - 1/3 cup espresso or cold brew concentrate (I brew 2 Nespresso pods)

1 teaspoon marsala wine or brandy, optional

Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting

1. Brew the espresso and set aside to cool. Once cooled, add the marsala wine or brandy, optional.
2. Separate the egg and egg white in separate bowls 
3. Add 1 tbs of granulated sugar into the bowl with the egg white and beat until soft peaks form. 
4. Add the other 1 tbs granulated sugar into the bowl with the egg yolk and beat until creamy and a pale yellow, almost off white color. 
5. Add the mascarpone cheese into the egg yolk mixture and mix until well blended and smooth. 
6. Spoon a small amount of the whipped egg whites into the cheese and yolk mixture and mix to lighten the cheese and yolk mixture. 
7. Add the remainder of the egg white mixture and gently fold in until no whites remain.

In a dish that will hold 1 cup ASSEMBLE 

If you have soft lady fingers that are cut in half:  

• Split the lady fingers in half lengthwise. They should be precut. Spoon 1/3 the cheese mixture into the dish, then quickly dip 3 lady fingers halves into the espresso, line up in the dish, spoon another 1/3 of the cheese mixture into the dish. Repeat by quickly dipping remaining 3 halves of the lady fingers in the espresso and line up in the dish. Top with the remaining 1/3 of the cheese mixture. Dust top with cocoa. Cover & refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably 6-8 and serve chilled.

If you have lady fingers that are firm and brittle:  

• spoon 1/2 the mixture into the dish, then quickly dip the lady fingers into the espresso, line up in the dish, spoon the other 1/2 of the mixture into the dish and dust top with cocoa. Cover & refrigerate at least 4 hours. Serve chilled.

FOR 4 SERVINGS

8 ounces mascarpone cheese, straight from refrigerator

2 large eggs

6 - 7 lady fingers

4 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

1/2 - 2/3 cup espresso or cold brew concentrate (I brew 2 Nespresso pods)

2 teaspoons marsala wine or brandy, optional

In a dish that will hold 2 cups ASSEMBLE 

If you have soft lady fingers that are cut in half:  

• Split the lady fingers in half lengthwise. They should be precut. Spoon 1/3 the cheese mixture into the dish, then quickly dip 3 lady fingers halves into the espresso, line up in the dish, spoon another 1/3 of the cheese mixture into the dish. Repeat by quickly dipping remaining 3 halves of the lady fingers in the espresso and line up in the dish. Top with the remaining 1/3 of the cheese mixture. Dust top with cocoa. Cover & refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably 6-8 and serve chilled.

If you have lady fingers that are firm and brittle:  

• spoon 1/2 the mixture into the dish, then quickly dip the lady fingers into the espresso, line up in the dish, spoon the other 1/2 of the mixture into the dish and dust top with cocoa. Cover & refrigerate at least 4 hours. Serve chilled.

Very inspired by Healthy-Italia. I tweaked the recipe slightly. I highly recommend you take one of their cooking classes if you live near Madison, NJ.