Jeff Smith's Tiramisu

This is from the Frugal Gourmet Cooks Italian. I use amaretto instead of brandy, but either version is fabulous!

• Ready In: 6 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• Filling

• 1 1⁄2 cups  espresso, at room temperature
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1⁄4 cup brandy or 1⁄4 cup Amaretto
• 2  egg yolks
• 1 (8 ounce) package ladyfingers
• 4  ounces  semisweet chocolate, shaved
• 1  lb mascarpone cheese

• Topping

• 1  cup  fresh  whipping cream
• 1⁄4 teaspoon vanilla
• 2  tablespoons confectioners' sugar

• Garnishes

•  cocoa powder
•  additional  chocolate shavings

Directions

1. Stir the expresso, sugar and brandy/amaretto together until the sugar dissolves.
2. Remove 1/3 of the coffee mixture to another bowl and set the remainder aside. Whisk the egg yolks into the 1/3 cup mixture. Add the marscapone and whisk together until smooth. Don't overmix.
3. Line a loaf pan with a large sheet of wax paper. Tuck it carefully into the corners. There should be a lot of wax paper remaining outside the pan.
4. Dip the ladyfingers one at a time into the reserved coffee mixture and begin to place them crosswide in the lined pan. They will expand when soaked with coffee. This will take only a few seconds, don't leave them too long or they will fall apart. Line the whole bottom of the pan (7 ladyfingers). Spread with half the cheese mixture. Sprinkle with 2 oz of the shaved chocolate.
5. Repeat layers of ladyfingers, cheese and shaved chocolate.
6. Top the pan off with the remaining soaked ladyfingers.
7. Fold the wax paper up around the top of the pan, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 hours.
8. Invert the chilled loaf pan onto a serving platter and tap the bottom of the pan to remove the loaf. Remove the wax paper.
9. Place the cream, vanilla and confectioners sugar in a bowl and whip until stiff. Spread the whipped cream all over the cake in an attractive manner.
10. Dust the cake with cocoa and decorate with shaved chocolate.
11. Slice to serve.