Although Tiramisu is a world-famous Italian dessert, it’s relatively new when compared with other famous Italian dishes like pesto, pizza, and pasta. There are a few beliefs about when and where tiramisu was first created, but most accounts tie its invention to a restaurant called “Le Beccherie” in Treviso, Italy in the 1960s. The man who own the restaurant and his apprentice, whose maiden name was “Tiramisu” were the believed creators of this iconic Italian staple.

There have been many versions of Tiramisu created over the years, some of which use Marsala wine or rum. This version was created by Laura Maccabiani, a local Italian and a wonderful cook. She got this recipe from her mother and perfected it over time. Its characteristics adhere to the traditional ingredients for tiramisu – ladyfingers, mascarpone, sugar, eggs, coffee, and cocoa powder. This delicious dessert is light and fluffy and is absolutely delicious served with a hot espresso.

Servings: 10

Ingredients:

4 eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar, divided

18 ounces mascarpone

3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

4 cups boiling water

8 teaspoons instant coffee

1 package lady fingers

1 package of cocoa powder

Directions:

First, separate the egg whites from the yolks. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to whisk together the egg yolks with 1/4 cup of sugar until the mixture doubles in volume.

Whisk in the mascarpone.

In a separate bowl, use the hand mixer to whisk together the whipping cream with 2 tablespoons of sugar.

In a third bowl, using the hand mixer, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. After this, you can add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar to the egg whites and whisk for one more minute.

Now it is time to incorporate everything. First, you will gently combine the whipping cream and the mascarpone and egg yolk mixture with a wooden spoon, using a circular motion (start from the top and work your way down).

Next, incorporate the egg whites to this mixture. With a wooden spoon, use the same circular motion to gently combine everything together. Make sure to pay close attention so that the mixture stays fluffy.

Set aside.

Make the coffee by using 4 cups of boiling water and 8 teaspoons of instant coffee. While the coffee is hot, start soaking the ladyfingers in the coffee, one at a time. Dip them in the coffee for 1-2 seconds each and place them in a rectangular pan. Cover each layer of ladyfingers with the cream mixture. Repeat until the pan is full. Sprinkle the top of the dessert with cocoa powder.

Place the Tiramisu in the fridge and allow it to set for a couple of hours before slicing and eating.