Classic Tiramisu

I’m not a coffee drinker at all. No really, I never drink coffee, simply because it don’t like it. Which is weird, I know, especially as a born and bred Melbournian (Never fear though, I do love Vegemite!)

So why on earth did I make tiramisu of I don’t like coffee? Well, weirdly enough I love coffee flavour! Coffee ice cream, coffee cake, coffee chocolate – I love it all! I just don’t like liquid coffee – it’s very odd, I know. And don’t think that it’s just because I’ve never tried good coffee, because I have! And I still just don’t like it.

But I love tiramisu! This was my first time making it, and the recipe comes from one of my favourite blogs, Recipe Tin Eats. Nagi lives in Australia, which makes it really easy to follow her recipes, partly because the measurements are metric, and partly because she uses ingredients available in Coles and Woolies, and often suggests certain brands to use. Which, if you’ve spent any time cooking from blogs, you’ll know is a breath of fresh air!

This is a very straightforward bake – in fact, there’s no baking involved at all! You simply mix, assemble, and chill. Perfetto!

Tiramisu

Serves 8 | 30 mins to prep; 4 hours in the fridge

Ingredients

3 eggs , yolks and whites separated

1/2 cup caster sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

250g mascarpone 

1 1/4 cups hot black coffee

2 tbsp (or more!) Frangelico or Kahlua 

200g (24 – 30) lady fingers, pavesini or savoiardi biscuits

Cocoa, for dusting

Method

1. Whisk egg whites in a stand mixer (or bowl with electric mixer) and beat until stiff – which will be about 3 minutes. You want it stiff but not too stiff, so don’t overmix it.
2. Transfer to a clean bowl and set aside.
3. In the stand mixer bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar in stand mixer or electric beater on medium speed for 10 minutes or until it changes from yellow to pale yellow, and is nice and thick.
4. Add vanilla and mascarpone, and whisk until just combined and smooth.
5. Add 1/4 of the egg whites into the cream mixture. Beat to incorporate.
6. Now gently fold through the rest of the egg whites – try to be careful so you don’t beat all the air out of the egg whites.
7. Mix coffee and liquor together in a shallow bowl. Quickly dip biscuits in on both sides and line the bottom of a 15-20cm square dish. You want the dish to be big enough to allow two layers of biscuits, with the biscuits neatly fitting in the bottom of the dish.
8. Spread over half the cream mixture and smooth the top.
9. Then top with another layer of coffee dipped biscuits, and spread with remaining cream. Smooth the top.
10. Cover with cling wrap/beeswax wrap/lid and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
11. Dust with cocoa powder just before serving (if you put the cocoa on before you refrigerate the tiramisu, it will soak into the cream and look funny.
12. Can be served by itself, with extra mascarpone, or fresh berries.

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