Best Ever Frangelico Tiramisu
Beautiful souls, I honestly did not intend for tiramisu to be next in my recipe lineup. But hey, life takes us by surprise sometimes. I wanted a to-die for dessert for when I have company over.
And just how to do that? With a homemade Italian dinner of course! I planned an entire made-from-scratch menu: caprese salad with a balsamic reduction, focaccia bread with herb and parmesan-spiced olive oil, shrimp scampi with homemade pasta and of course a delicious Italian dessert courtesy of moi. The first thing that came to mind when brainstorming desserts was easy. Tiramisu! And I had my heart set on this being the most amazing, knock-your-socks-off tiramisu.
As soon as we decided on the menu, I went straight to Whole Foods and bought EVERY SINGLE package of ladyfingers they had there. I knew I was about to go through a lot of them during recipe testing. Spoiler alert: I did go through a lot of ladyfingers. Good thing I bought the entire aisle’s worth.
As I write this, I’m honestly tiramisu-ed out. But it was so worth it to get this recipe nailed down.
And how did the dinner go? Hehe, funny you ask. The tiramisu was the knockout. As for the rest of dinner…well let’s just say I love to cook, and I think I can be pretty good at it. I’m just not great at cooking AND entertaining at the same time. I burned the balsamic reduction because #1 I got distracted by the dinner conversation and #2 I turned down the heat on the wrong burner and accidentally left the balsamic on high heat the entire time. I also rolled the pasta too thick in a rush and it took forever to cook. But even a kitchen disaster can turn into a great memory.
But next time I’m buying dried pasta.
What is Tiramisu?
Fun fact: The term tiramisu actually means “pick-me-up” (credit to The Oxford Companion to Food). Isn’t that the cutest thing? And it really is such a good pick-me-up when you’ve had a long week! Authentic tiramisu is made by combing mascarpone (a kind of cream cheese) with eggs and cream, and then incorporating egg whites. The mascarpone filling alternates between layers of espresso-soaked ladyfingers, otherwise known as sponge fingers.
Typically tiramisu is made with raw eggs. But with raw eggs, there’s always a chance—no matter how low it is—that it can make you sick with the possibility of getting salmonella. If you don’t want to risk it, then try a recipe with pasteurized eggs or using a double boiler method like my recipe here. The great thing about the baking world is you’re free to choose whatever approach you want in making this amazing Italian recipe.
How to Make Tiramisu
Prep and arrange the first layer of ladyfingers. Start by whisking together ¼ cup of Frangelico liqueur and 2 cups of espresso in a shallow bowl. Strong coffee will also work here. I just buy an instant espresso from the grocery store (the Ferrara Instant Espresso Coffee) and add boiling water to it to make my own at home. Then take one ladyfinger at a time and quickly dip each side of it into the Frangelico-espresso mixture. I usually dip for about 1 or 2 seconds per side. Don’t make the mistake of oversoaking—I did that once and had parts of the cake collapse. That was traumatic enough to teach me never to do it again.
Arrange the soaked ladyfingers in an even layer along the bottom of 7x11 baking dish. Note: Ladyfingers were tough to find at first when I wanted to try making tiramisu. I’ve found the most likely places to snag some are Whole Foods and Fresh Market in their baking aisles, but you can also order ladyfingers online! Make sure to buy the crunchy and not spongy kind.
Begin making the custard filling. To make the filling, start by whisking together 6 egg yolks and 1 cup of granulated sugar over a double boiler. To be honest, I still don’t have a legit double boiler...and I’m unlikely to invest in one. It’s just way too easy to create a makeshift double boiler. Simply take a medium-sized pot filled with water and put it to a simmer; then place a heatproof bowl on top. The residual heat will gradually cook the eggs.
While authentic tiramisu is made with raw eggs, I’m too worried about getting myself sick (or my guests for that matter), so I don’t want to take my chances. I’d rather cook the eggs for peace of mind. So set a bowl with the eggs + sugar over simmering water for ten minutes and whisk constantly. Does that mean you have to stir for every single part of that ten minutes? Nope. But definitely keep that mixture moving throughout its duration. The eggs + sugar mixture will be lighter in color by the end. Take it off the heat and let cool until it reaches room temperature (the reason: you don’t want the mascarpone to curdle when you add it in).
Add in the mascarpone and whipped cream. Next add in 16 ounces of mascarpone cheese (this should be two containers since mascarpone is usually sold per 8 ounces) and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until combined (about 2-3 minutes). Then set the bowl aside while you make homemade whipped cream.
In a separate bowl, beat 1 cup of heavy whipping cream + 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract over medium-high speed until it forms stiff peaks (approx. 3-4 minutes). Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone-egg-sugar mixture. Remember to be gentle so the whipped cream doesn’t deflate.
Assemble. Spread half of the custard over the first layer ladyfingers. An offset spatula will help to evenly spread. Don’t worry too much about being a perfectionist since this will be topped by more ladyfingers anyway.
Then arrange another layer of espresso-soaked ladyfingers, and then spread on top the remaining custard.
Chill and then serve. Here’s the hard part — you have to wait to eat this delicious dessert. It’s so worth it though. Chilling the tiramisu helps the dessert solidify and enhances its flavor. You can serve after chilling it for 8 hours, but I recommend waiting at least a full day. I think that’s when the tiramisu is at its best. Dust lightly with some dust-process cocoa powder and enjoy this decadent treat.
Ladyfingers soaked in espresso and Frangelico liqueur. Layered with a rich mascarpone custard. Topped with a dusting of Dutch-process cocoa powder. This tiramisu is simple to make and it’s so deliciously worth it.
“Meeting the Parents” Frangelico Tiramisu
Ingredients:
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 16 oz. mascarpone cheese, room temp.
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups espresso (or strong coffee)
- ¼ cup Frangelico liqueur
- Approximately 24-26 crunchy ladyfingers
- Unsweetened cocoa powder to dust (I prefer Dutch-process)
Instructions:
- Whisk together the espresso and Frangelico in a shallow bowl.
- Take half of the ladyfingers and—one at a time—quickly dip them in the bowl of espresso-Frangelico. Aim for about 1-2 seconds per side. Don’t fully submerge the ladyfingers or they’ll get soggy and the cake can collapse.
- Arrange the espresso-dunked ladyfingers in a single, even layer at the bottom of a 7x11 baking dish. Set aside.
- Over a double boiler with simmering water, whisk together the egg yolks and the granulated sugar. Whisk constantly for about 10 minutes. The mixture will turn lighter in color throughout the duration. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool until it reaches room temperature.
- Add the room-temperature mascarpone cheese into the egg and sugar mixture. Use an electric hand mixer to beat on medium-high speed until combined (about 2-3 minutes). Set aside.
- Combine the heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Use a hand mixer to beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form (about 3-4 minutes).
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the rest of the custard. Be gentle so as not to deflate the whipped cream.
- Take the half of the custard filling and, using an offset spatula, spread it evenly on top of the first layer of ladyfingers.
- Dip the remaining ladyfingers into the espresso-Frangelico and arrange them in an even layer above the filling. Spread the remaining custard filling above the second layer of ladyfingers.
- Cover the tiramisu tightly with cling wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
- Dust the top with cocoa powder before serving. Enjoy!
