Ingredients Print

Check off ingredients as you go

Serves 6 to 8

• 500 g (1.1 lb) mascarpone (taken out of the fridge a little ahead of time)
• 300 g (10.5 oz) ladyfingers (that’s about 25-30)
• 140 g (⅔ cup + 1 Tbsp) granulated sugar
• 4 extra-fresh large eggs (essential, since you’ll be eating them raw)
• 4 cups (about 240 ml / 1 cup each) long espresso, such as an americano
• unsweetened cocoa powder

If you change the number of serving, consider adjusting cooking times!

Making the mascarpone cream

1. Separate the egg whites from the yolks (be careful not to get any yolk in the whites, or they won’t whip up). Put the whites in a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer and start whipping them. As soon as they begin to foam, add half of the sugar (keep the other half for the yolks). Keep whipping until they form a glossy, firm mass.

2. In another bowl, whisk the yolks with the remaining sugar until the mixture turns pale and doubles in volume.

3. Gently fold the mascarpone into the yolks, a little at a time, trying not to lose too much volume. Finish by folding in the whites, again without losing the air you’ve whipped in, lifting from the bottom up with a spoon.

Ladyfingers and assembling the tiramisu

4. Quickly dip the ladyfingers in the espresso, then arrange them in your serving dish (don’t soak the cookie all the way through, just the underside).

5. Cover with mascarpone cream, then repeat the cookie step for a second layer (I like to lay the ladyfingers in one direction, then the other way on the next layer), and finish with a layer of mascarpone cream.

6. Chill for several hours (at least 5-6) or even overnight.

7. Just before serving, dust with cocoa powder using a small fine-mesh sieve.

Tips and variations

• While I’m at it, a quick reminder, since I get asked this a lot. Anything made with raw eggs keeps 48 HOURS MAX in the fridge. No longer. Even if it tastes the same. The bacteria that grow and can make you sick have no taste… So please, no longer than that.

• On the other hand, tiramisu freezes well without the cocoa. Just let it thaw in the fridge and dust it with cocoa right before serving.

• To make your mascarpone cream, it’s best to take your ingredients out of the fridge a little ahead of time; they’ll be softer and easier to fold in without too much stirring.

• You can absolutely use just 250 g of mascarpone and replace the other 250 g with ricotta or cream cheese (gvinat shamenet, if you’re in Israel).

• For a boozy version, add 1 Tbsp of amaretto (almond liqueur) to the coffee.