Patrizia Chen's Tiramisu

Born and raised in Livorno, Ms. Chen's memoir, "Rosemary and Bitter Oranges: Growing up in a Tuscan Kitchen" is a charming account of a post world war II childhood. And the recipes are terrific. This Tiramisu presents beautifully. If the raw eggs worry you, use the very good ones you can find in organic markets. This is a perfect dessert for making early in the day of your dinner party, freezing for the afternoon, and removing from the freezer to sit on your counter while you sit down to dinner.

• Ready In: 7 hrs 25 mins
• Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 6  large eggs
• 7  tablespoons sugar
• 2  tablespoons  fine ground coffee (I use espresso or French roast)
• 7  ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 18  ounces mascarpone
• 1  cup coffee, strong Italian
• 2  tablespoons dark rum
• 14  ounces ladyfingers (or savoiardi cookies)
• 2  tablespoons  unsweetened cocoa powder, dark

Directions

1. Separate the eggs, putting the yolks into a large mixing bowl and the whites into the bowl of an electric mixer.
2. Add 6 tablespoons of sugar to the yolks and whisk auntil pale yellow and creamy.
3. Stir in the ground coffee, chocolate and mascarpone.
4. Beat the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks; gently fold them into the mascarpone mixture.
5. Line the sides of a nine inch springform pan with foil.
6. In a shallow bowl, mix the cup of brewed coffee, rum and remaining tablespoon of sugar.
7. One by one, dip enough cookies/ladyfingers into the mixture to cover the bottom of the pan (it's ok if they crumble).
8. Take the remaining cookies/ladyfingers, dip them on just one side, and stand them straight up against the sides of the pan, the moist side facing inches.
9. Pour the mascarpone mixture into the pan and sprinkle the top with the cocoa powder (easiest using a fine sieve).
10. Cover and freeze for at least six hours.
11. Let stand at room temperature one hour before serving.
12. To unmold, spring open the pan, peel away the foil, and transfer the Tiramisu, still on the pan base, to a serving plate.
13. Ecco fatto!