Tiramisu

Tiramisu

My first time trying tiramisu was at a popular chain Italian restaurant when I was in undergrad. It was a square cut piece of silky smooth, espresso-ey, creamy perfection with a dusting of cocoa powder. It was my go-to dessert for years. I always thought it was one of those desserts that are better eaten at restaurants as they’re simply too difficult to make at home. Boy, was I wrong! I first made tiramisu in residency for Thanksgiving dessert. I was quite surprised at how easy it is to make. It was pretty good but over the years I tweaked the recipe and taste testers have approved!

This simple recipe requires only six ingredients and takes only 40 minutes to make. While it’s quick to prepare and can be eaten after several hours, it tastes best once it has been in the refrigerator for 12 hours to a few days. Therefore, I recommend preparing the dessert two to three days in advance for best results.

Traditionally the recipe calls for crisp, light lady finger cookies. A great alternative is margherite cookies which are similarly shaped but a little more dense. They are more widely available than lady fingers and I found are a great substitute. Lady fingers need to soak in the espresso/coffee mixture for two to three seconds. Margherite cookies need to soak in the mixture for around 10 seconds and they’re good to go. I used margherite cookies in this recipe.

Also, traditionally the recipe calls for liquor such as rum mixed with espresso or coffee. Since I don’t drink, I omitted the alcohol. I gauge my guests and decide on whether to use coffee or espresso. Since I readily have coffee available at home, I use this most often. I do sometimes add a touch of espresso to the coffee for a stronger result however I am careful if children will be eating the dessert. We don’t them bouncing off walls!

Enjoy!