Sophia Loren’s Tiramisu

BlondieItaliana's Note:

Taken from Sophia Loren's "Recipes and Memories" Cookbook, this tiramisu is incredible and it's one of the better traditional tiramisu recipes out there. I'm all for shortcuts, but some of the tiramisu recipes I've come across just ruin the final outcome by taking too many shortcuts & using too many substitutes. I've made this plenty of times and always get rave reviews. It's pretty close to perfect and certainly tastes homemade as it is. For those of you who don't know, Tiramisu is a cool, refreshing Italian dessert AKA "Tuscan Trifle". It can be prepared individually in custard cups or in one larger baking dish (that is this recipe). Also, this recipe calls for liquor to be used, however any of the imitation flavorings or liquid flavorings can be used instead.

• Total Time: 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 3 eggs , separated
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 6 ounces mascarpone cheese
• 36 ladyfingers , 1 large package (approximately 36)
• 1 cup orange liqueur
• 1 cup espresso coffee
• 2 ounces bitter chocolate , grated (Bakers chocolate)
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (or 2 ounces grated bittersweet chocolate)

Directions:

1. Combine egg yolks and sugar in a medium-sized bowl and beat well.
2. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks.
3. In a third, larger bowl, combine the egg yolk mixture with the mascarpone, then fold in the egg whites to produce a creamy mixture.
4. Arrange a tight layer of ladyfingers in a 9-by-12-inch serving dish.
5. Using a spoon, drizzle about half the liqueur and half the espresso over the ladyfingers.
6. Cover the ladyfingers with the mascarpone mixture and the grated chocolate, and dust it with a little more than half the cocoa.
7. Cover the filling with a second layer of ladyfingers and drizzle with the remaining liqueur and espresso.
8. Place the dish in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours (the Tiramisu can be made 24 hours in advance).
9. Top with the remaining cocoa before serving.

Reviews

[StickyToffee]

This was surprisingly light and not too sweet. Next time I make this I will use half the amount of brandy and coffee because I had plenty left over. I dipped each ladyfinger in the mixture instead of sprinkling it. I couldn't wait to eat it so it only chilled for an hour instead of the required 12.

[Bonnie G #2]

Just made this for company when we wanted an Italian desert to serve with dinner. Couldn't find lady fingers so used angel food cake that I cut into cubes, and doubled the creamy mixture as I wanted it to completly cover the 11 x 13" pan. Other than that followed the directions as written and couldn't have been happier, recieved MANY compliments and the biggest from DH who usually doesn't even eat sweets. This will be a keeper for me and one to pull out whenever I really want to impress. Thanks Blondie for sharing this wonderful recipe.

[Chef #902862]

Just made this and it's good! The right amount of coffee and brandy flavor comes through. And it's very simple to prepare.