Espresso soaked ladyfingers and rich heavy cream make up this famous Italian dessert. While this recipe may seem daunting, tiramisu is simple to make ahead and well-worth the effort of making in order to enjoy!

For a video demo visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvVH4Mk2ku4&t=14s

Recipe by Crouton Crackerjacks, adapted by Josephine Koeck

Serves 12-16

Ingredients

6 ounces boiled water mixed with 2 tsp. Instant espresso powder

6 large egg yolks

¾ cup turbinado cane sugar

2 tbsp. Whole milk

8 ounces mascarpone cheese

1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2, 3.5 ounce packages of ladyfingers

Unsweetened cocoa powder, to serve

Directions:

• In a double boiler, whisk together the egg yolks, milk and sugar for 8-10 minutes. The yolk mixture should be thick and creamy; take off the heat and fold in the mascarpone cheese until it is fully incorporated. Set aside to cool.
• In a stand-on mixer with a beater attachment, beat the heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract on high until stiff peaks form.
• Once the egg mixture has cooled, gently fold in a third of the whipped cream. This folding process is important to ensure the cream does not deflate… be patient! Fold in another third of the cream until combined, and then fold in the remaining cream. The resulting mixture will be thick and pale yellow.
• In a 9×9” baking dish, start to lay out the ladyfingers. Quickly dunk each ladyfinger into the instant espresso mixture (you do not want it to be too soggy) and lay in the dish.
• Repeat with the other ladyfingers until the bottom of the dish is lined with neat rows. Put half of the cream on top of this layer, making sure it is distributed evenly. Repeat the rows of ladyfingers that are dunked in the coffee and place the remaining cream on top. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula, cover tightly and place in the fridge for two days. (These two days ensures the flavors will meld together in the tiramisu).
• When ready to serve, lightly dust the top of the tiramisu with unsweetened cocoa powder. Slice into rectangular pieces and enjoy!