Tiramisu

I am proud of this one. It's not perfect, but it's pretty darn good, and my best effort so far. I made it for Shannon's birthday, as it's her favorite dessert. And it's made from scratch. That's right, I made my own ladyfingers, or savoiardi. Although this gives me a little smugness, I would only recommend it for die-hard from-scratch cooks. Not that they are that difficult to make (they are not), just that store-bought will save you time and probably hold their texture better. My ladyfingers came out a little soft.

Start by either brewing or obtaining some strong hot espresso - you will need about 1 cup (8 fluid ounces). Add to this 1 tbsp sugar and 1 miniature (50ml) of Kahlua or other coffee-flavored liqueur. Stir to mix and set aside in a wide bowl - you want a shallow pool of espresso.

You will need to make a double boiler for the next step (or, if you have a double boiler pan, you can use it instead - just put the yolks, sugar and wine in the top insert). This is simple - you find a metal bowl that will fit over a small-medium saucepan. Put a little (1/2 inch) water in the saucepan. The bowl must be the right size to fit over the pan without touching the water. Set the bowl aside and bring the water to a gentle simmer (be careful - if the yolks get too hot, they will scramble, and you will have to start again). In the metal bowl go 4 egg yolks, 1/2 cup (3.5 oz) sugar and 1/3 cup Marsala wine. Set the bowl on the double boiler and whisk the yolks. You will need to do this for about 10 minutes, until the yolks expand in volume and get hot to the touch (when you dip in a finger). At this point, remove the bowl from the heat, and whip the mixture until it cools down. If you have a stand mixer, use it (with the whisk attachment). A hand-held electric whisk would also be useful here.

Meanwhile, beat 1 lb mascarpone cheese with a fork or spoon until soft. Set aside. Whip 1 cup heavy cream just until it gets to stiff peaks (if you are using a stand mixer, pour the yolks into a new bowl, wash mixer bowl and whisk, and use it for the cream).

Now fold the cooled yolk mixture and cheese into the cream until mostly combined. Take a 11 x 8 x 2 inch baking dish and set it aside. You will need some ladyfingers. How many you will need depends on their size. I used about 16 of mine. Now you are ready to assemble the tiramisu. Take the ladyfingers and dip them quickly, one by one in the espresso bowl. The goal is to get them a little wet but not soaked. After dipping, use them to line the bottom of the baking dish in one layer. Next, spread half of your cheese mixture over the ladyfingers and make it nice and flat and even. On top goes another layer of dipped ladyfingers, and then on top of them goes the rest of the cheese mixture. Flatten and smooth the top, then dust it with cocoa powder and sprinkle with chocolate curls (I used dark chocolate and a vegetable peeler). Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for several hours.

Pull the tiramisu out of the refrigerator half an hour before you serve it. Dust the top with cocoa again, if desired (it will look better if you do this), slice and enjoy!

Metric Info: 1 cup = 240ml; 1/2 inch = 1cm; 3.5 oz = 100g; 1/3 cup = 80ml; 1 lb = 450g; 11 x 8 x 2 inches = 28 x 20 x 5cm.