I spend a lot of time trying to replicate some of my favorite dishes from around the world. I hesitate to say anything I cook is “authentic” unless the recipe comes directly from someone more schooled than I am in how a recipe is prepared. In this case, I’m sharing an authentic Italian tiramisu recipe straight out of Italy.
When we visited Parma, top of the list was a cooking class. My husband has been wanting to learn to make a filled pasta from a pro, so we signed up for an in-home cooking class through Cesarine. Our instructor was Cristina and she walked my husband through making tortelli while I took instructions on making the tiramisu for dessert.
Cesarine offers cooking classes in a number of other locations in Italy. The links here are affiliate links for which I earn a small commission.
What is Tiramisu?
Classic Italian tiramisu features espresso or strongly brewed coffee. Other tiramisu flavors abound, though. You’ll find creative chefs making tiramisu with limoncello, pumpkin spice, strawberry, and all sorts of other flavors.
A classic tiramisu recipe calls for dipping a soft biscuit into a flavored liquid (in this case, coffee) and layering these soaked biscuits with a mascarpone cream. Tiramisu isn’t a cake really, but rather a layered dessert.
Ingredients of Note
Savoiardi biscuits: If you’re shopping in Italy or an Italian grocer, look for savoirardi biscuits. If you’re elsewhere, look for lady finger cookies.
Mascarpone cheese: I’ve been able to find tubs of mascarpone cheese in American grocery stores. If you are unable to, homemade clotted cream would be a good substitute. You can also whip up a mascarpone substitute by combining 8 ounces of cream cheese, 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, and 2 tablespoons of softened butter.
Eggs: This Italian dessert recipe features raw eggs. Europeans are much less uptight about eating raw eggs than Americans. Only you can decide if you’re comfortable using this ingredient.
Coffee: Use espresso or really strongly brewed coffee for the best flavor.
Making this Tiramisu Recipe
Start by brewing the coffee. This gives it a chance to cool before being used. Easier on your fingers!
Next, make the mascarpone cream by combining the eggs, sugar, and mascarpone. Cristina used a hand mixer for this portion of the recipe. I don’t own a hand mixer, so I pulled out my trusty immersion blender and it worked fine.
Dip the savoiardi or ladyfingers in the coffee, just until the bottoms are saturated. Fully soaking the biscuits won’t break the recipe, but will make them hard to work with. Place the biscuits in a dish, covering the bottom.
Spread about half of the egg mixture over the soaked biscuits, then add a second layer of ladyfingers, placing them in the opposite direction. Top with remaining mascarpone cream and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
Sift unsweetened cocoa powder over the entire dessert or onto individual servings.
Cutting the tiramisu after it’s completely refrigerated makes it easier to get a nice slice, but let’s be honest: if you’re looking for a visually appealing dessert, this isn’t it. I’m gratified that the one we enjoyed with Cristina looked similar to the one I recreated at home. The flavor though!
You could assemble individual tiramisu cups for a prettier presentation if that matters to you.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups espresso
- 120 grams sugar about 1/2 cup
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 125 grams mascarpone cheese about 1/2 cup
- 2 capfuls marsala wine
- 8 – 10 lady finger cookies savoiardi in Italian
- Unsweetened cocoa for garnish
Instructions
- Brew espresso or very strong coffee. Set aside to cool.
- Use a hand mixer or immersion blender to cream eggs and sugar together. Add mascarpone cheese and beat until creamy and pale yellow in color. Set aside.
- Combine cooled coffee with the marsala wine in a shallow bowl or dish.
- Dip bottoms of savoiardi into coffee briefly, just until they absorb some of the liquid. Place a layer of lady fingers in the bottom of an 8"x8" pan. Spread half of the mascarpone mixture over the cookies, then add another layer of dipped ladyfingers topped with the remaining mascarpone cream. It's okay to break the lady finger cookies so that they fit better in your dish.
- Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
- Sift cocoa over entire dessert or on each individual serving.
